Mark Leahy

I am a writer and artist working with text and performance. Born in Ireland, I live in the South West of England. My work uses constraints, structuring rules, and operates to cross or question category and genre divisions including around queer identity and social agency. Projects have explored the capacity, meaning and culture of the human voice, alongside the presentation and performance of self. Recent performance, radio and audio works include ‘revised dictionary supplement’ (Plymouth, Falmouth, 2022), ‘Hello! This is a test.’ for radia.fm (2021), the Constrained Radio series for Soundart Radio (2021), ‘Breath Pieces’ choreographed by Rosanna Irvine (Tramway, Glasgow, 2018); ‘telling time’ (Jamboree, Devon, 2018); ’threaded insert’ (Plymouth Art Weekender, 2017; Cardiff, 2018); ‘Breathing Line’ choreographed by Rosanna Irvine (Dance4, Nottingham, 2017); ’subject to gesture’ with Benjamin D. Duvall (Liverpool, 2017); ‘his voice’ (Plymouth, 2015; Manchester, 2016), ’flat-head self-tapping’ at Chelsea School of Art (May 2015) and ‘answering machine’ for Experimentica14 at Chapter Cardiff (Nov 2014). Artist publications include ‘9x9: a set of poems under constraint’ (ArtsandCultureExeter, 2020), ’in the key of’ (Counter Plymouth Artist Book Fair, 2015) and ‘lengths and ends: six poems for Penzance’ (CAZ Weekender, Penzance, 2012). He was commissioned to write texts to accompany work by artists including Nathan Walker, Katy Connor, Andrew Kearney, Steven Paige, and LOW PROFILE. Poems have appeared in Tentacular, Stride, Freaklung, and The Other Room Anthology 8. Swatches was published by Acts of Language (2009), Subject to Gesture by Dock Road Press (2017), and At Sounds Like: 3 Projects was published by if p then q press in 2021. Critical publications include essays in Hyperrhiz, C21 Literature, Open Letter, Performance Research Journal and Journal of Writing in Creative Practice. I teach part-time at Plymouth University, and have managed a variety of exhibition, installation and performance projects. I was a founding director of artdotearth.org, am a co-director of CAMP CIC, am on the board of Soundart Radio, and chair of the board of Take A Part CIO. Devon