In the BA (Fine Art & History of Art) standards were high and no compromises were made in terms of prior experience and knowledge. I often described it as a boot camp for artists. Stakes were equally high in the MA; the course consisted almost entirely of experienced/mature professionals and those who already had post graduate qualifications in other related areas. The contacts I made there continue to be a valuable resource in my work.

I am now co-director of Open Dialogues, a UK collaboration that produces writing on and as performance. Since 2008 Open Dialogues has pioneered a model of working closely with performance and Live Art artists to critically respond, document and extend the moment of performance. Programme partners include The Live Art Development Agency (UK), Pacitti Company (UK), Trinity Laban (UK), Performa Biennial (US) and Performance Saga (CH) among others.

This fixed term post in the Department of Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths recognises the independent research that I continued to do after I finished the MA in Contemporary Art Theory. I am very lucky to continue to have use of the Goldsmiths library, a desk and computing facilities and, most importantly, access to an academic community with whom I can share research ideas and from whom I seek advice. I am planning to apply for a PhD programme at Goldsmiths to continue the research I started as part of the MA.

I didn't have a typical arts background like other students when I joined Goldsmiths. I worried that I would struggle to fit in and keep up. During my time at Goldsmiths however I was encouraged to make good use of all my previous skills and education and I found that, in the end, my research 'hook' came precisely from past experience and knowledge. One of the more memorable experiences I had as a student at Goldsmiths was presenting a practical group project to a public audience at Gasworks gallery in London, but these experiences continue and I look forward to many more. The academics, staff, students and high-profile visitors to Goldsmiths continue to inspire and motivate me. 

I recently co-founded a creative research collective called 'The Future State' with Goldsmiths Senior Lecturer Dr Derval Tubridy and other Goldsmiths scholars. The collective explores creative responses to contemporary crises, using Ireland as a paradigm for global conditions. It was born out of an international conference that I co-organised at Goldsmiths titled 'The Future State of Ireland' which took place in November 2012 and which gathered together artists, historians, journalists, social commentators and cultural studies academics to develop discourses around economic crisis, gender issues in austerity, popular resistance, urban geographies and much more. 

I'm now an independent scholar, currently working on a book on art and creative practices in Kabul, Afghanistan: littlebookofkabul.wordpress.com

Studying at Goldsmiths provided me with the tools of critical thinking that in time have proven fundamental throughout my career. I also learnt the importance of dialogical education and the value of interdisciplinary studies. 

Whilst studying the MA History of Art (Twentieth Century) [the original name for the MA Contemporary Art Theory] at Goldsmiths I focused on phenomenology and wrote my thesis on the embodied encounter with darkness and its implications for experiencing moving image, with specific consideration of Jean Luc Godard and French new wave cinema.

After graduating, I started working with artists within a commercial gallery context, firstly at Emily Tsingou Gallery who at the time represented Jim Shaw, Karen Kilimnik and Georgina Starr, followed by Max Wigram Gallery and lastly as director at Alison Jacques Gallery. I realised during this time that I wanted to develop in a curatorial direction within an institutional context and applied for my current position at Camden Arts Centre in 2009.

My role involves working on all aspects of our exhibitions from their inception, including research, contributing to programming decisions, developing the practical realisation of exhibitions with the artist from fabrication through AV and presentation concerns, writing exhibitions texts, leading tours of the exhibitions and public events, negotiating loans, right through to organising transport, insurance and customs paperwork.

The course I undertook at Goldsmiths provided a strong foundation from which to approach and respond to contemporary art practice and I still find I draw on my research interests in projects I am developing now.

Alongside my position at Camden, I also do some freelance writing and curating and am currently co-curating a residency project called ‘Potlatch’ with Grizedale Arts in the Lake District. The project takes its name from the native American Indian ritual which has been a subject of interest for me since reading Bataille as part of my studies and will be an umbrella theme for a group of Scandinavian artists invited to Cumbria to participate in a programme of performances, events and symposia.

Goldsmiths provided me with great analytical skills and the ability to understand the world with an alternative and unconventional perspective. The projects and texts I was introduced to gave me the confidence to approach tasks with originality, and the quality of people that ran the course gave me great insights into the industry and into visual culture.

I now manage The Bridges Project which intends to reinvigorate European Union policy making through the application of cross disciplinary knowledge. In this role I research potential collaborators and design interactions to foster and harness the diverse knowledge our participants contribute.