Maria Kerin’s facilitation practice is grounded in deep listening, sensory awareness, and creative receptivity. Having multidisciplinary training in both visual art and contemporary dance Maria has developed her communication skills with over 35 years of relational awareness. Furthermore, Maria has researched extensively with Dr Rachel Sweeney, Schumacher College, (2019-2024) in their weekly eco-somatic collaborative explorations, Articulating Thresholds. Responding to the individual needs of the participants, Maria supports individuals and groups to engage with movement, material, and place through embodied experience.
Since 2007, Maria has facilitated The Embodied Creativity Process, a structured approach for individuals and groups seeking deeper creative engagement through the body and the senses.
This multidisciplinary process is grounded in four core pillars: deep body listening, materiality, spatial awareness, and somatic movement rooted in sensory experience.
Creative exploration is often supported through reflective visual art practices and new media tools, including mobile phone documentation, which help frame and extend the creative experience.
The Embodied Creativity Process has been shared internationally, including at:
MoKS Arts Residency Centre, Estonia
Öland Think Tank, Sweden, Experimental Heritage reserarch
Supermarket, Stockholm, Sweden
Puka, Estonia, Head over Heals symposium
Gallery Huuto, Helsinki, Finland,
SERDE Arts Residency Space, Aizpute, Latvia
Maria’s facilitation extends into community and environmental contexts, where movement and creativity are used as forms of social and ecological engagement.
The Floating Village (2019-2024)
Maria has researched extensively with Dr Rachel Sweeney, head of Movement, Mind and Ecology, Schumacher College, (2019-2024) in their weekly eco-somatic collaborative explorations, Articulating Thresholds. This has led to commissioned and funded multi-disiplinary projects; Copper Coast, Waterford, Ode to Lickeen Lake, Clare (symposium & school workshops) and research residencies in France, Schmacher College, UK, and at the Burren College of Art, Clare. See www.thefloatingvillage.net
Social inclusion work includes:
Blankets of Peace, an exhibition in The Studio, Lisdoonvarna, inviting artists to work with 48 blankets in response to embodying peace. Further facilitated workshops with refugees and professional artists together in North Clare, ongoing since 2023, and public sharing through protests and vigils.
Fáilte Isteach volunteer, supporting social connection and language exchange through English conversation groups in Lisdoonvarna and Bellharbour.
Maria has extensive experience hosting and facilitating international peer-to-peer artistic exchange.
Maria facilitates 4 O’Clock TEAS, a choreographic discourse platform that supports peer-to-peer conversations across Europe, creating cross-cultural points of departure through simple acts of meeting and listening. (Estonia, Sweden, Latvia, Finland, UK, Ireland)
She curated and facilitated RAFT (Sharing and Gifting), a series of residential gatherings in Estonia for international artist-curators exploring collaborative practice through shared knowledge and creative generosity.
Her facilitation has included week-long peer learning events such as The Future is Domestic!, where international artists were hosted in her home to exchange practices in drawing, wind music, and herbalism. Supported by the President's Award, Arts Council & Clare Co. Co.
Alongside her creative facilitation, Maria has held formal advisory roles within the arts sector.
From 2000 to 2015, she served as an adjudicator for arts bursaries with several County Councils in Ireland.
Maria has also acted as a European liaison, advising on Creative Europe proposals and supporting partnerships between Irish arts organisations and collaborators in Estonia and Latvia.
MENTORING:
With her diverse multidisciplinary experience and international expertise, Maria is very excited to support others in realising their creative dreams.
2025 Funded by Glór to mentor dance artist Alex Rafferty.
2025 Mentored Ciara Moynihan in choreography for her community Bog project at Griston Bog, Ballyhoura, Limerick, funded by Síolta Glasa Creative Climate Action Programme, funded by Creative Ireland and Limerick City and County Council.
2025 Mentored Sacha McElveen to learn to complete Arts Council applications.
2015-2025 Mentored Russell Brown for his Phd dance performance, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.
2003 onwards: Selected as mentor for several artists in the midlands, funded through the Arts Offices of Offaly, Laois, and Cavan.
She welcomes private mentoring and work through funded arts awards.
Please contact kerinmaria@gmail.com for an individual quote and testimonials.