Nicola Moran is an aerialist, contortionist and contemporary jeweller from Dundalk, Co. Louth. Nicola earned a BA in Fine and Applied Art, specialising in silversmithing from the University of Ulster, Belfast. She previously worked in New York as a metalsmith for Artemis Quibble And now creates at her studio space in the Irish design shop, Dublin.  Nicola recently exhibited in the Pinned exhibition with ACJNI in Craft NI, Belfast.

Working professionally as an aerialist and acrobat, Nicola makes bespoke street shows both nationally and internationally with Feathers Ensemble Company and performs regularly with Aerial cirque.  Nicola performed a vertical dance off a 65 meter crane in the show Elevate by Aerial Cirque, an aerial gravity-defying for Culture night, Dublin. Nicola’s circus journey has taken her all over the world training with renowned teachers and artists, most recently Danzaire and Los almendros in Costa Rica.

Last year she was awarded the Ignition residency, a collaboration between Dance Ireland and Dublin Circus project and funded by the Arts Council, Ireland.  Nicola also received the Circus bursary award from the arts council of Ireland while also holding independent residencies at venues across Ireland and Europe. Nicola will take part in Marina Abramovic’s ‘Cleaning the house’ masterclass for one week in Greece as research into durational performance and will continue this research into the residency at An Táin Arts Centre.

As a circus artist and fine and applied artist, Nicola is deeply interested in the research of both disciplines, and passionate about ways to combine the two. Exploring concept development through experimental conversations between body, form, and material. Red Torc is an example of the work she is developing, and will continue this research with the equilibrium between body, sculpture, movement and audience.

Follow her progress using the hashtag #antainartists on Instagram @shur_luck and on Facebook @nicolamoranart