Vanessa Daws is a visual artist and long distance swimmer.

Her art practice explores place through swimming. Swimming as part of the research, process and live event. ‘Place’ being the watery space that is navigated and swam through and the social space created by this shared activity. Vanessa uses film, sound, drawing, publications, sculpture and live events to create her work.

The open water swimming community is well connected, a global and borderless network. Vanessa is interested in how the history of long distance swimming traverses invisible frontiers and how interconnected histories can be shared through swimmers' stories from around the world.

In the past few years Vanessa has created art projects in watery spaces as diverse as the frozen Pirita River, Estonia; the Rideau Canal in Canada; The President’s Fountain, Bulgaria; the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara; the M50 Aqueduct in Dublin to the Bogs of Ballycroy, Co Mayo.

www.vanessadaws.com

Rosie Hermon, Curator

Rosie is a curator and researcher based in London. Raised in Brighton, the birthplace of Mercedes Gleitze, Rosie has spent several years working around and across the English Channel, particularly as a co-curator of the diep~haven festival. More recently she has been thinking in the interstices of international cultural networks as part of her PhD research, bringing her interest in engaging communities of interest across distributed geographies to Swimming a Long Way Together.

Ruth Clinton, Artist & Musician

Ruth is an artist, writer and musician living in Sligo. She makes exhibitions and publications in collaboration with artist Niamh Moriarty and is a member of traditional singing group Landless. She co-founded the traditional singing session, ‘The Night Before Larry Got Stretched,’ the Sacred Harp Singers of Dublin group, as well as a weekly old-time session in Sligo. She worked with Vanessa on her 2019 project, Beyond Islands, writing and performing a song about Lambay Island.

www.ruthclinton.com

Peter Jordan, Event Production & Health and Safety Manager

Peter works within Theatre, Dance and Outdoor spectacle as a production manager. He has successfully completed a Diploma, Higher Diploma, Degree and Masters in Safety and Emergency management. He first swam with Vanessa in Galway over 20 years ago.

Michelle Cahill, Event Production

Originally from Galway, Michelle represented her County in swimming at All-Ireland level twice. She quit swimming to study dance theatre and performance in Yorkshire and then London. Now based in Dublin, she divides her time between producing ambitious new projects with artists, performing her own solo works and most recently renewed her passion for swimming.

www.maydaycreates.com

Peter Maybury, Designer

Peter Maybury works as an artist, graphic designer, musician and educator. With formal training in visual communications in Dublin and London, his practice-based research has expanded to encompass design for print and screen, wayfinding systems, film, sound, artworks for exhibition, and curation.

Barry Lynch, Filmmaker

Standing on the edge of the great watering hole of life, peering in to see who's looking back.
Looking back to see who's company I'm in. Drinking in the fresh supply of inspiration and  wondering who do I owe for the pleasure? 
At some stage I'm going in.
Barry will be making a film over the course of the project.

www.infocusmedia.ie

Ingrid Machado, Filmmaker

I’m passionate about storytelling and trying to participate in the liquid flow of everything in life.

Ingrid will be working with Barry

Stephanie Dickenson, PR

Stephanie Dickenson is one of Ireland’s most experienced arts publicists, with expertise across the arts sector & beyond, having worked for Kate Bowe PR for fifteen years and now as a freelancer for seven years. Stephanie is looking forward to immersing herself in the world of Mercedes Gleitze.

Rowena Neville, Impact Development Manager

Rowena is lead consultant at Blue Line Consulting, supporting clients with stakeholder engagement, strategic development, capacity building and strategic communications. She is a focused, well-networked and trusted advisor and relationship broker working across business, local government, the arts, and non-profit sectors.