Mark Leahy

Mark Leahy is a writer and artist working with text, voice, sound and actions. Originally from Ireland, he now lives and works in South West England. His work uses constraints, structures, and other strategies to question category and genre divisions including around identity and agency. He makes solo and collaborative performance works that use language, gesture, and digital interfaces to examine how individuals are shaped by cultural and social forces. Works look at the performer’s body as policed by economic, political and cultural narratives, at how ‘voice’ functions to place someone, and at how the language can perpetuate inequalities. Projects have explored the capacity, meaning and culture of the human voice, alongside the presentation and performance of self. Performances and live work include ‘revised dictionary supplement’ (Plymouth, Falmouth, 2022); ‘Breath Pieces’ (Glasgow, June 2018); ‘telling time’ (Jamboree, Dartington, June 2018); ’threaded insert’ (Plymouth Art Weekender 2017; Cardiff, May 2018). Work for radio includes ‘Hello! This is a test.’ for radia.fm (2021), the Constrained Radio series for Soundart Radio (2021). 

At Sounds Like: 3 Projects was published by if p then q books in 2021, Swatches was published by Acts of Language (2009), and Subject to Gesture by Dock Road Press (2017), and poems have appeared in Stride, Freaklung, Curly Mind, Other Room Anthology 8. Artist publications include ‘9×9: 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 has written on work by artists including Nathan Walker, Andrew Kearney, Steven Paige, and LOW PROFILE. Critical publications include essays in C21 Literature, Open Letter, Performance Research and Writing in Creative Practice. He is active in peer-networks supporting artists’ activity in his region, teaches part-time at University of Plymouth and Falmouth University, and works with a number of arts and creative organisations.  markleahy.net.