Glossary

In Brief

This page unpacks the key theoretical frameworks that shape my work. It examines how transnational feminist perspectives influence my exploration of Irish Catholic maternal history, migration, and memory, and explains how I reimagine maternal relationships through embodied research and creative collaboration.

Practice-as-Research (PaR)

Practice-as-Research (PaR) bridges creative practice and academic inquiry, using artistic creation—such as film, performance, and embodied workshops—as a method of investigation. It challenges conventional academic structures by integrating theory with practice, generating knowledge through the creative process itself. PaR aligns with feminist relationality and embodied epistemologies, situating knowledge within the body, movement, and shared breath.

In my work, PaR allows me to explore embodied methodologies and transnational feminisms. By positioning filmic bodies and performative readings as sites of knowledge production, I challenge conventional academic narratives and expand disciplinary boundaries. For example, in my Filmic Breath series, breath shapes the rhythm and cuts of visuals, creating an embodied cinematic language. Similarly, my Embodied Circular Readings workshops transform theoretical insights into practice by fostering participatory, durational experiences.

These practices contribute to reimagining maternal legacy, exploring the intergenerational transmission of shame, and challenging historical silences. By engaging with PaR, my research not only generates new knowledge but also invites collaborative reflection and transformative encounters.

Definition: Shared Air
Luce Irigaray's concept of "shared air" redefines breath as more than a mere physiological act; it is a fundamental medium of relational exchange that connects bodies, affects, and subjectivities. In this framework, shared air becomes a space where maternal relationality and the transmission of affect—particularly transgenerational shame and trauma—are continuously negotiated and reimagined.

Background on Luce Irigaray
A pioneering feminist philosopher, Luce Irigaray’s work has profoundly influenced feminist theory, psychoanalysis, and cultural studies. Although her ideas, especially those concerning the feminine, have received uneven reception in the Anglophone world—often critiqued for essentialism—her concept of shared air remains a critical yet underexplored framework. By highlighting the intersubjective and embodied dimensions of breath, Irigaray invites us to rethink traditional notions of subjectivity and maternal relationships. My research builds on her insights, along with contributions from scholars like Anne Emmanuelle Berger, Drucilla Cornell, and Alison Stone, to expand feminist philosophies of maternal relationality and embodiment.

Irish Catholic Maternal

The term I have devised - Irish Catholic Maternal refers to the complex layers of maternal shame, trauma, and relationality shaped by Irish Catholic cultural and historical contexts. It examines how embodied shame is passed down through generations, particularly affecting mother-daughter relationships within the Irish diaspora in London. This shame is deeply tied to political and religious control over female bodies, colonial histories, and socio-cultural narratives perpetuated by the Irish State and Catholic Church.

My research focuses on how these maternal legacies are performed, inherited, and transformed within the Irish diaspora community in London, where migration, secrecy, and social stigma have uniquely shaped maternal experiences. By drawing on Luce Irigaray’s concept of “shared air,” the research explores breath as a relational medium that navigates shame, memory, and trauma within maternal subjectivity.

Situating Maternal Shame

Maternal shame refers to the affective and social structures that regulate motherhood, shaping how maternal identities are perceived, controlled, and internalised. Rooted in patriarchal, religious, and state institutions, maternal shame enforces normative ideals of motherhood, often silencing experiences that fall outside these frameworks. In the Irish context, maternal shame is deeply entangled with the legacy of the Catholic Church and the state’s historical regulation of women’s reproductive autonomy—manifesting in institutions such as the Magdalene Laundries, Mother and Baby Homes, and restrictive abortion laws.

Situating maternal shame requires an intersectional approach, examining how this affect is transmitted across generations and experienced within diasporic, queer, and transnational contexts. Drawing on affect theory, feminist philosophy, and psychoanalysis, my research explores maternal shame as both an imposed condition and a site of resistance. Inspired by scholars such as Elspeth Probyn (Blush: Faces of Shame), Sara Ahmed (The Cultural Politics of Emotion), and Silvan Tomkins (Shame and Its Sisters), I investigate how breath, movement, and storytelling provide counter-narratives to maternal shame—reconfiguring the maternal relation as a transformative space of reimagination and collective healing.

Through my Embodied Workshops and Listening & Reading Groups, I explore how maternal shame is inscribed in bodily memory and how breath, as an archival force, can disrupt cycles of silence and repression. Situating maternal shame in this way enables a nuanced understanding of its persistence and potential undoing, foregrounding embodied methodologies as a means of both witnessing and reconfiguring inherited narratives.

Embodied Shame

Embodied shame refers to the deep-seated, often unspoken feelings of shame that are carried within the body, influencing movement, posture, and breath. In the context of Irish Catholic maternal history, this shame is not merely emotional but is performed, inherited, and transformed through relational dynamics, especially between mothers and daughters. It manifests through silences, bodily gestures, and the regulation of breath—echoing intergenerational trauma and cultural memory.

In my practice-based research, embodied shame is explored through workshops, film, and performance, using Luce Irigaray’s concept of “shared air” to investigate how breath becomes a site of conflict, connection, and transformation. This approach allows for a working-through of historical silences, particularly related to Irish Catholic maternal shame shaped by political and colonial histories.

By reimagining maternal relationships as sites of co-becoming, my work challenges conventional narratives of guilt and redemption, contributing to feminist theory, trauma studies, and philosophies of embodiment. This interdisciplinary exploration bridges academic discourse and lived experiences, offering new insights into how shame is both inherited and reoriented across generations.

Breath as ‘Performance’

In my research, breath as ‘performance’ explores how breath acts as a medium of relational exchange, embodiment, and memory. Inspired by Luce Irigaray’s concept of “shared air,” breath becomes more than a physiological function; it is a performative act that carries affect, shame, and trauma across generations, particularly within Irish Catholic maternal contexts.

This performative approach is integrated into embodied workshops, film, and listening and reading groups, where breath dictates rhythm, pacing, and emotional resonance. It challenges traditional narratives of voice and articulation, allowing embodied experiences of shame and memory to be expressed and reconfigured through collective, participatory practices.

By attuning to the sound and rhythm of breath—both one’s own and those of others—participants are reoriented to their embodied presence in the moment. This deep listening cultivates an awareness of interconnectedness, fostering relational attunement and inviting a re-experiencing of collective memory and transgenerational affect. In this way, breath as performance reconfigures how we engage with maternal legacy, subjectivity, and embodied history.

Transnational Feminisms

Transnational feminism challenges Western-centric narratives by examining how gender, race, class, nationality, and colonial histories intersect on a global scale. This approach embraces diverse voices and practices to reveal the varied experiences of oppression and resistance across borders. In my work, transnational feminist perspectives are central to exploring Irish Catholic maternal shame, migration, and memory. I connect personal and familial narratives to broader cultural and historical networks, reimagining maternal relationships as transformative sites of resilience and change. Through archival research, film, performance, and participatory workshops, my practice situates individual lived experience within the complex tapestry of transnational cultural dynamics.

Embodied Methodologies

Embodied methodologies foreground the body—its movements, sensations, and affect—as a vital site of knowledge production. This approach moves beyond traditional, text-based inquiry by valuing the sensory and experiential aspects of learning and research. In my practice, I use techniques such as breathwork, performative readings, and durational workshops to explore how inherited trauma and transgenerational affect are experienced and expressed through the body. The concept of “filmic breath” is central to my work, capturing the dynamic interplay between physical expression and theoretical inquiry. By engaging participants in embodied practices, I create spaces for collective reflection, creative experimentation, and transformative dialogue—where the body is both a medium and a message in the reimagining of memory, identity, and maternal legacy.

• Embodied Workshops – Sessions integrating breathwork, movement, and sound to explore memory, trauma, and transgenerational transmission. These workshops activate site-specific narratives through improvisational, durational, and collective engagement.

• Listening & Reading Groups – Collaborative gatherings where participants bring texts, images, and oral histories, exploring breath as a textual practice. Rooted in feminist oral traditions, these sessions investigate how silence, rhythm, and repetition shape memory and cultural transmission.

Filmic Bodies

Filmic Bodies refers to the dynamic interplay between embodied practice and film, where the physical act of breathing, movement, and affect is captured on camera. Rather than merely recording images, this concept treats the filmic body as a living, non-linear narrative—constructed through layered audio-visual fragments—that reveals the intimate rhythms of personal and collective memory. It is a process in which the body, through its shared breath and gestures, becomes both the subject and medium of transformation, reconfiguring historical and emotional landscapes into a dynamic, cinematic language.

Filmic Breath – A site-responsive film methodology where breath dictates pacing, structure, and sonic rhythm. By mapping cuts, transitions, and sound to inhalation, exhalation, and pauses, this technique disrupts linear cinematic time and integrates breath as both subject and structure in film.

• Site-Responsive Film – A durational, process-based filmmaking approach where landscapes, architecture, and bodily breath interact, allowing film to unfold nonlinearly and iteratively, resisting fixed narratives.

• Sonic Layering – A technique integrating breath-based sound compositions into film and performance.

Brave Spaces

Situated within brave spaces—“a concept that goes beyond the traditional safe space ideology. While safe spaces aim to provide refuge from discrimination and harm, Brave Spaces encourage individuals to engage in courageous conversations, confront biases, and challenge perspectives constructively. It acknowledges that discomfort and growth often go hand in hand, and by stepping out of comfort zones, meaningful progress towards inclusivity can be achieved” (Oxford Review)—my scripted readings allow narratives of maternal shame and dementia to be lived through. These embodied circular readings prompt participants to engage physically, emotionally, and intellectually with the material. They are encouraged to move, breathe, and interact with the readings, while film pieces are projected onto screens and surrounding surfaces, becoming integral to the spatial experience of the workshops.

Maternal Relationality

The dynamic and evolving relationships between mothers and daughters, particularly as sites of cultural transmission and affect.

Transgenerational Shame

The lingering, often unspoken, affective residue passed down through generations, particularly in contexts of familial and cultural trauma.

Durational Practice: Why It Matters

Durational practice is not merely about extending time but about deepening engagement. By emphasising continuity, repetition, and process-based inquiry, it allows participants to immerse themselves in an evolving experience, cultivating a reflective, embodied connection to the material. This approach challenges the quick consumption and superficial understanding often encouraged by contemporary culture. Instead, it fosters a slower, more deliberate encounter, enabling participants to process complex emotions, memories, and narratives in a transformative way.

Time is essential when engaging with the complex affects of shame and trauma. The durational nature of this practice provides the necessary space for participants to navigate emotional triggers and sensitivities with care and consideration. It creates an environment where individuals can engage at their own pace, allowing for gradual unfolding and processing. To ensure this is done ethically and responsibly, I have developed an extensive ethics form that guides the practice, safeguarding participants' well-being while fostering a space of courageous vulnerability and trust.

The durational practice unfolds across artist residencies, communities, and academic spaces. It begins with listening and reading groups, where participants engage with Irish literature and its connection to “shared air.” These sessions incorporate breathwork, drawing from conscious connected breath, to cultivate awareness, body-mind connection, and emotional release. This sensory and empathetic foundation introduces the philosophical and political contexts of my research, preparing participants for deeper engagement.

Through durational practice, participants are encouraged to return to the same space, text, or breath repeatedly. This repetition allows for a layered understanding to emerge over time, echoing the cyclical nature of memory, trauma, and reorientation. It also mirrors the iterative rhythms of maternal experience, diaspora, and the embodied legacies of shame and resilience.

By resisting the demand for instant resolution, durational practice honors the ongoing, unfinished nature of personal and collective histories. It invites participants to inhabit discomfort, confront the unspeakable, and engage with vulnerability—all within a space of shared breath and relational exchange. This approach not only enhances the depth of emotional and intellectual engagement but also challenges conventional academic and artistic practices, creating room for new narratives to unfold.

In this way, durational practice is a powerful method for reconfiguring how we relate to memory, identity, and community. It becomes an act of resistance against the fast-paced, outcome-oriented world, offering a space for reflection, transformation, and co-becoming.

Circular Readings

Circular Readings is a performative method inspired by the Daoist Wheel, emphasising cyclical movement, repetition, and the fluidity of time. In this practice, texts, histories, and embodied memories are revisited in cycles, allowing for reorientation, reinterpretation, and deeper engagement. Drawing on the Daoist philosophy of continuous flow and interconnectedness, Circular Readings embrace the notion that time is not linear but spiral—constantly returning, evolving, and transforming.

This method reflects the cyclical nature of breath and memory, mirroring the rhythms of inhalation and exhalation, remembrance and forgetting. By intentionally revisiting the same text or memory from different angles and in varied contexts, participants encounter new meanings, challenge fixed interpretations, and explore the fluidity of historical and cultural narratives. In this circular framework, narratives are not confined to a singular origin or endpoint but are continuously shaped and reshaped through communal interaction and embodied reflection.

Inspired by the Daoist Wheel’s movement through cycles of creation, dissolution, and renewal, Circular Readings resist linear, hierarchical modes of knowledge production. Instead, they foster a relational, iterative process of meaning-making, inviting participants to embody the text and experience it as a living, breathing entity. The practice creates a participatory space where embodied memories, emotional resonances, and unspoken histories can be voiced, heard, and collectively processed.

Through cycles of listening, reading aloud, breathing, and reflecting, Circular Readings cultivate a durational and repetitive engagement that deepens the connection to the text and to one another. This durational approach honors the slow unfolding of memory and emotion, providing space for reflection, integration, and transformation. It also challenges conventional academic structures by inviting participants to blur the lines between reader and narrative, speaker and listener.

Ultimately, Circular Readings, inspired by the Daoist Wheel, offer a transformative encounter with memory and identity. They invite participants to move fluidly through cycles of knowing and unknowing, creation and dissolution, offering new possibilities for relational exchange, cultural reimagining, and embodied knowledge production.

Bodily Traces

In my practice, bodily traces refer to the residual imprints of affect, memory, shame and trauma held within the body. These traces are not merely physical but are also psychic and relational, shaped by cultural and historical contexts, particularly within the Irish Catholic maternal diaspora in London.

Bodily traces carry the silences, shame, and unspoken histories passed down through generations, becoming embodied memories that influence relational dynamics. In my workshops and filmic practices, I explore how these traces are expressed, transformed, and reconfigured through movement, breath, and performative acts.

By engaging with embodied methodologies, participants attune to their own bodily traces and those of others, fostering a collective working-through of inherited trauma and transgenerational affect. This reorientation allows for a reimagining of maternal legacy and offers a space for collective encounters and creative transformation.

Bodily Memory

Bodily memory refers to the ways in which experiences, emotions, and histories are stored, recalled, and expressed through the body, beyond conscious thought or linguistic representation. It acknowledges that memory is not solely cognitive but is embedded in movement, sensation, and affect—held in gestures, breath, posture, and muscle memory.

In my practice, bodily memory is explored through breath-based methodologies, movement, and filmic interventions, investigating how histories of trauma, silencing, and resilience are inscribed in the body. Drawing on feminist philosophy, psychoanalysis, and transgenerational transmission, I consider how the maternal relation, migration, and inherited shame manifest through bodily traces. My workshops and performances activate bodily memory through circular rhythms, iterative gestures, and shared breath, offering a space for reconfiguring personal and collective histories beyond verbal articulation.

Collective Memory

Collective Memory refers to the shared knowledge, experiences, and cultural narratives that are remembered and passed down within a community or group. Unlike individual memory, which is personal and subjective, collective memory is communal, connecting people through shared stories, traditions, and historical events.

This type of memory is often transmitted through cultural practices, oral histories, rituals, literature, and other forms of storytelling. Collective Memory is dynamic, evolving as each generation interprets and reinterprets the past, ensuring its relevance in changing social and cultural contexts.

In my practice, Collective Memory is explored through participatory workshops, embodied readings, and filmic bodies, allowing participants to engage with cultural narratives, inherited memories, and intergenerational experiences. By bringing personal and communal memories into dialogue, my work challenges fixed historical accounts and opens up new possibilities for cultural reimagining and transformative healing.

Affective Inquiry

A research approach that foregrounds feelings, emotions, and bodily responses as central to understanding social and cultural phenomena.

Ethical Memory Practices

Approaches that critically engage with and preserve cultural and historical memory, often with an eye toward social justice and reparations.

Feminine-to-Come

A conceptual framework for imagining future possibilities of the feminine, one that is open, dynamic, and constantly in the process of transformation. “The within but not yet.”

Histories That Hurt (Sara Ahmed)

"Histories that hurt" is a concept developed by feminist scholar Sara Ahmed to describe the lingering emotional and affective impact of historical injustices, trauma, and oppression. These are experiences that are not easily resolved or forgotten but continue to shape individual and collective identities. They are embodied in the present, affecting how people navigate spaces, relationships, and cultural narratives. In my work, this concept is used to explore how transgenerational shame and maternal memory are carried and reimagined through embodied practice and filmic breath.

Autoethnography

Autoethnography is a research method that merges autobiographical writing with ethnographic analysis, positioning personal experience as a critical lens for examining cultural, social, and political structures. It challenges the traditional divide between the researcher and the subject, embracing subjectivity, emotion, and reflexivity as integral to knowledge production.

In my practice, autoethnography functions as both a methodological and artistic approach, where embodied experience, breath, and memory serve as archives of transgenerational transmission. By weaving personal narrative with feminist philosophy, archival research, and site-responsive interventions, I explore how lived experience intersects with broader historical and social conditions. My work engages with autoethnography not just as a reflective practice but as an affective, processual methodology—one that breathes, moves, and transforms through embodied storytelling, film, and performance.

Touching Contract – Jesse Jones & Sarah Browne

Touching Contract (2016) is a collaborative project by Irish artists Jesse Jones and Sarah Browne that explores the politics of touch, consent, and the body as a site of resistance. Developed as part of In the Shadow of the State, the work critically engages with how state power regulates bodily autonomy, particularly in relation to gendered experiences of surveillance, control, and care. The project included participatory workshops, legal ritual performances, and sonic installations, situating touch as both an intimate and political act.

Drawing on feminist legal theory and histories of embodied resistance, Touching Contract challenges the contract as a tool of patriarchal governance, instead proposing alternative forms of relationality based on trust, mutuality, and non-verbal communication. The project resonates with my own research into breath, bodily memory, and maternal relations, particularly in how it interrogates the affective and legal structures that shape lived experiences of shame, silencing, and autonomy.