I was delighted that after giving a talk entitled “Unearthing Herstory at Cathal Brugha Barracks” on International Women’s Day (March 8th) artist in residence Margaret Fitzgibbon invited me back to show my documentary “Dance Emergency”, about Irish-German Modern Dance pioneer Erina Brady (played with uncanny connection by Olwen Fouere) as part of her Culture Night line-up in the Military Archive. This was like a dream come true to me as this was where I found the Secret G2 detective file that would help me to piece the jigsaw of Erina Brady’s lost story together. Certainly, a Military Archive is an unlikely place to find the official state history of an art form, but that was the case with the first wave of Modern Dance in Ireland.
Captain Daniel Ayiotis, head of the Military Archive kindly took out Erina Brady’s actual file and displayed it for the public to see in fine glass cases on the night. He also gave a brilliant introductory talk before the screening, putting Erina Brady’s G2 file in context of the collection at the Military Archive, and giving his ow
n personal take on it, outlining how these detectives unwittingly contributed to Irish cultural history and the rescuing of Erina’s lost story. I couldn’t help thinking how Erina would really appreciate this event, and her ghost would be having a bit of a chuckle if indeed she is floating around somewhere in the ether.
We had a great, interested audience and enjoyed a lively Q & A after the screening, after which Culture Night at Cathal Brugha Barracks rolled on, including Margaret Fitzgibbon’s installation “Still Life”; poetry readings by the great Paula Meehan; we got a sneak preview of a site-specific photography project by Amelia Stein; there were tours of the Military Archive; and a ukelele band brought the house down under Evie Hone’s stain glass windows over in the chapel. Massive thanks to everyone who helped to make this wonderful evening happen.
& here is Victoria’s VLOG with Erina Brady’s Culture Night 2017 event at the Military Archive in Cathal Brugha Barracks in her weekly mix!: