'He knows exactly what to do to create a space of intense atmosphere, revealing what it means to be human. I deeply support his vision'

Kirsten Dehlholm | Artistic director | Hotel Pro Forma, Denmark

b. Peckham, London, UK

Work: Dance-artist/actor/director/maker Maurice Kelliher is an contemporary artist working across dance/theatre/film. His work as a director/choreographer/maker has been shown in the UK, Albania, Italy, Ireland, and Brazil. 

Background + Practice: He has a prior professional background as an actor and performer; and he also went on to train as a dancer and choreographer at Trinity Laban conservatoire, London (BA (Hons) Dance, 2007). Since 2010 he has focussed exclusively on his own artistic practice, and in 2012—as part of an international mentorship programme—Maurice was mentored by Kirsten Dehlholm—award-winning artistic director of international performance laboratory Hotel Pro Forma (Denmark). 

His artistic practice has been supported by: Arts Council England, The Arts Council (IE); Dublin City Council/The LAB; Galway City Arts Office; Dublin Fringe Festival; Fringe Lab; Dance Ireland; Science Gallery, Create—the national development agency for collaborative arts (IE), and Dance on the Radio (UK).

His work has been described critically as "provocative", "moving", "compelling", and "stunning"—and has been programmed and commissioned for venues, events, and festivals including: Laban theatre (London); Dublin Fringe Festival (2010, 2011, 2014); Project Brand New; Science Gallery Dublin; Official selection São Carlos Videodance Festival; Festival of Curiosity; Live Collision International Festival; PROBE festival @Trinity College Dublin; Centro Universitário Maria Antonia (USP), São Paulo; and Official Selection for Tirana International Film Festival, Albania.

In 2011 his work was nominated for the Spirit of the (Dublin) Fringe Commissioning Award; In 2015 Maurice was commissioned by Science Gallery to create a video work — Hysteria — for their 2015/2016 exhibition TRAUMA; In March 2017, after responding to a call for proposals that answer the question—'what could dance on the radio be?'—Maurice's response, Lost Broadcasts, won a Dance on the Radio Funding Award; curated by Claire Hicks and Laura Sweeney—and supported by the Arts Council England.

As a separate side project he produces and edits podcasts and radio documentaries (with co-producer Shaun O'Boyle), and for the purposes of that work they go by the moniker Shaun & Maurice.