Lucia Joyce in Paris

James Joyce’s only daughter Lucia flourished as a modern dancer at the heart of the artistic avant-garde in 1920s Paris. In this illustrated talk, Deirdre Mulrooney shares highlights of her time walking in Lucia’s footsteps while on residency at Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris last year.

Deirdre Mulrooney is a dance historian, writer/director, and documentary maker. She is the author of Irish Moves, an illustrated history of dance and physical theatre in Ireland, Lucia Joyce: Full Capacity (originally published in Joyce Studies Annual), and a book on Pina Bausch (her PhD). Her films have been broadcast on RTE, TG4, and selected for film festivals worldwide, from Lincoln Center NYC Dance on Camera Festival, to Bloomsday Film Festival at the IFI. As part of her ongoing project to re-inscribe the body into Irish cultural history Deirdre has been reclaiming Lucia Joyce as a significant artist since her 2019 RTE Lyric FM feature radio documentary and short dance film starring Evanna Lynch. Dublin’s James Joyce Centre has supported Deirdre’s project since 2021 when she directed Patrick Hastings’ play Calico for the Bloomsday Festival, followed by Come and See Me, her December 13th 2022 interdisciplinary Saint Lucia’s Day event and associated exhibition which celebrated Joyce’s artistic achievements, and marked the 40th anniversary of her death. Deirdre was delighted to be awarded an artist residency at Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, in April 2024. For more information, visit www.deirdremulrooney.com.

The event is free and open to the public.