Research, community collaboration, and development of the Running Blind Dance project began in 2015 and has led to a series of accessible dance performances, community sharings, international collaborations, integrated workshops, six-week training programs, performance projects, and short films.

This project has been developed and inspired by our collaboration with people who are blind, people who have low vision, and people who are deafblind.

The below presentation shares research, principles & practices for inclusive movement practice that this project has developed over the last 8 years while working with the Anne Sullivan Centre for the Deafblind and through the integrated workshops open to all community members, for the National Council for the Blind and Vision Sports Ireland.

Presented at Vision 2022 Global Conference in Dublin on July 8th, 2022.

Laura has worked since 2015 with the Anne Sullivan Centre for the Deafblind offering weekly dance classes and with members of the National Council for the Blind in Ireland and members of Vision Sports Ireland.

Running Blind is a visceral dialogue of the senses, an immersion into a tactile, imagined and experienced presence.

Creative Team
Choreographer and Performer – Laura Sarah Dowdall
Dramaturg, Creative Producer – Sabina Bonnici
Creative Producer – Hillary Dziminski
Sound Designer – Robert Coleman
Lighting Designer – John Gunning
Violinist – Colm Ó Braoin
Costume – Holly O’Brien
Mentors – Amanda Coogan & Tom Pritchard

With special thanks to members of the National Council for the Blind in Ireland, community workshop participants and all at the Anne Sullivan Centre.

Running Blind has been developed at Fringe Lab with the support of Dublin Fringe Festival.

Kind support has also been provided by Dance Theatre of Ireland,  Dance Ireland, CREATE Ireland, & Smock Allies: Scene + Heard Festival.

For more information or collaboration opportunities, please email Laura.