Our Story
INCLUSIVE DANCE PROJECT -RUNNING BLIND:
Running Blind began in 2015 when Laura was awarded the Create Artist in the Community Award to work with the Anne Sullivan Centre for the Deafblind, mentored by Amanda Coogan. The work of russ Palmer and Riita Lahtinhen inspired her to further develop connection between the nonverbal form of dance and social haptic communication. Research and collaboration continues to this day - Laura and the residents meet for a movement class every week since 2015.
In 2016, Laura extended the project to investigate new ways of experiencing dance through haptic communication and audio description for people who are visually impaired, supported by the Dance Ireland Tyrone Guthrie Centre Residency Award. She worked with blind accessibility activist Walei Sabre (New York) and dancer Janie Doherty (Derry). The Dance Ireland Mentored Residency Award that same year supported her exploration of text and voice in dance, working with writer, dancer and theatre director Tom Pritchard.
As Dancer-in-Residence at Rua Red Arts Centre (2017), Laura presented a landmark accessible dance performance incorporating tactile environment, immersive soundscape, interactive performance and live audio description — three of the six performances included audiences with sight loss, and one performance attended by majority VI audience (over 70 per cent). This was the first inclusive dance performance in Ireland made with and attended by people with visual impairment.
In 2018, she delivered two six-week programmes in collaboration with the National Council for the Blind, supported by the DLR Arts Office and Arts Access Grant, and was awarded the Dublin Bus Community Spirit Award in recognition of the project's community impact. That same year, the Irish Independent featured Running Blind as the cover story of their Health Supplement, the article entitled 'Dancing in the Dark'.
Throughout 2019- 2022, Laura taught classes online for Vision Ireland honing her skills as she described for children and adults of all abilities and ages. In 2023, Laura was a tutor on Ireland's first Inclusive Dance Training (UCC/Dance Cork Firkin Crane) — bringing her decade of methodology directly into the formal training of the next generation of inclusive dance practitioners in Ireland. That same year she presented the work internationally as guest artist at MOVE ME! Dance Festival in the Netherlands, where she gave a performative talk and facilitated inclusive dance workshops for festival attendees.
In 2024, Laura's work with the blind community featured on RTÉ Nationwide (June 2024) — bringing national visibility to the project and to the importance of access in dance. She also presented workshops at the Retina International World Congress in Dublin, placing her methodology at the centre of international conversation between arts, science and vision health.
In 2025, the Dance for All project was created in collaboration with members of ChildVision and Fighting Blindness, enabled by the Create Project Realisation Award, a coveted award recognising and funding innovation in the presentation of inclusive arts performance of high artistic value. Performed by VI performers for sighted and visually impaired audiences alike, the Dance for All culminating performance expanded the ways in which dance can be experienced beyond our reliance of vision, demonstrating the full artistic potential of a decade of sustained, pioneering practice.
In 2026, Running Blind continues its evolution through Laura's selection for the Arts Council of Ireland Dance Artist Residency Scheme in partnership with The Gate Theatre and Dublin City Council — bringing this body of work into one of Ireland's most significant theatrical spaces and marking a new phase of artistic development, institutional collaboration and wider reach.
Running Blind Dance creates interactive dance performance accessible to blind, visually impaired and sighted audiences alike — bringing audiences on a multi-sensory tactile journey- offering a new way of experiencing dance. It is among the most sustained and pioneering examples of inclusive dance practice in Ireland.
To learn more about workshops, performance, projects or inclusive dance training : www.runningblind.ie
Contact laura@runningblind.ie for mentoring, training, embedded access and dramaturgical services.