Mary Corr-McNicholl, (PhD Researcher)

Originally from Tyrone I have lived and worked within the arts in Derry City for 25 years, I have recently returned to live in the city after living in Donegal for the past year.  I'm a seasoned artist with a profound dedication to the arts spanning over 25 years. As a mother raising two university students, my journey through the creative landscape has been diverse, rich, and deeply rooted in my experiences both as a professional and as an autonomous creative force.

My career is a testament to my versatility and commitment, having thrived as both an employee and a self-driven entrepreneur, shaping, and facilitating artistic endeavours. My photography is drawn towards the essence of fleeting moments, capturing the subtle narratives within people and nature amidst our swiftly changing world. Influenced by film, nature, and the evocation of time and place, my work resonates with the profound subtleties of the human experience.

As a facilitator, my passion lies in empowering various groups, my commitment to participatory creativity, rooted in a belief in the transformative power of art, has led me to engage with diverse service users. Through a PAR (Participatory Action Research) approach, I've endeavoured to positively impact health through creative engagement across various art forms, in the past advocating and working with for LBGQTAI communities, men's groups and mental health awareness, older vulnerable people and young people in care and most recently people affected by Mothers and Babies Institutions, among others. I have been a visiting artist in Kenya, Madagascar, and Russia as well as throughout Ireland North and South. I've championed initiatives fostering agency and understanding, emphasising the importance of safeguarding and equality procedures.

I am currently a practice based PHD research candidate and my research involves using photography to explore post-feminist masculinities within a post-conflict, transitional space. This endeavour seeks to illuminate the performances of masculinity and the liminal aspects of young ‘masculinities’ in post conflict Derry City.