About
Laura Murphy is a genre-defying performance maker from Bristol who makes text driven and dynamic physical work about things that she thinks need to be talked about. Her work is cross-disciplinary fusion of theatre, live art, aerial choreography, dance and verbal explosions, which integrates intimacy and spectacle.
Laura holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield - her doctoral research thesis Deconstructing the Spectacle: Aerial Work as Critical Practice can be found here.
Previous Work
Subjects have included: social ownership of the female body, spectacle and showmanship in British politics, mental health (anxiety disorder), banking investment in the arms trade, and how time perception affects the structuring of society.
Laura has worked with artists and companies such as Ursula Martinez, Terry O’Connor (Forced Entertainment), Firenza Guidi (No Fit State), Fernando Rubio (LIFT Festival), Broken Dream Co., Bassline Circus, Theatre Delicatessen, Lucky Pierre, Kayla Parker and the University of Plymouth on solo and collaborative projects.
Laura is a CircusNext Laureate 2018-2019: European programme coordinated by Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe and supported by the European Union.
Awards and Grants
CircusNext Laureate 2018-2019 (European programme coordinated by Jeunes Talents Cirque Europe and supported by the European Union)
Arts and Humanities Research Council IPS Fellowship Award @ Harry Ransom Centre, Austin, TX (USA) (2017)
Theatre Delicatessen Commission for ‘My Brain is a Radio’@ Horror Souk, Sheffield, UK (2014)
White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities/AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) Doctoral Research Studentship, University of Sheffield (2014-2017)
AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council MA Performance & Visual Practices Studentship Award (2011- 2012)