Disquiet Nights: Anna Mullarkey, Felispeaks and Stephanie Dufresne

Launching on January 19th, Disquiet Nights begins with a special experimental event featuring musician Anna Mullarkey, spoken word artist Felispeaks and dancer Stephanie Dufresne. This unique collaborative event with three of Ireland’s most exciting performers will explore themes of love through the elements of water, air, earth, wind and fire.

FELISPEAKS is a Nigerian-Irish Poet, Performer, Playwright from Co. Longford; Ireland. FELISPEAKS has been nominated ‘Best Performer’ by Dublin Fringe Festival September 2018 and went on to win ‘Best Performer’ in 2022. As well as being a Member of the Poetry Ireland Board of Directors appointed June 2020, FELISPEAKS is a member of the Poetry Collective, WeAreGriot. FELISPEAKS is an Associate Artist with THISISPOPBABY. FELISPEAKS’ poem: ‘For Our Mothers’ is in the English Ordinary Level Leaving Cert Curriculum for examination year 2023 and 2025, as is their poem “Rainbow Blood” for 2025. In 2020, FELISPEAKS was commissioned a new piece for RTÉ’s The Big Picture on the theme of ‘the New Normal’ – this poem, entitled Still captured the minds of the nation and has been performed to audiences all over the country. Of late, FELISPEAKS has been commissioned by the Irish Repertory Theatre and Fishamble: The New Play Company for the Transatlantic Commission for Black Irish Artists. FELISPEAKS ended 2021 as an Irish Tatler Woman of the Year with a win in the Catalyst Category – which recognises a woman who has affected change in Irish society in a pivotal way. FELISPEAKS became an ambassador for Laya Health Care’s Beats TV and Media Campaign.

In 2022, FELISPEAKS performed “ALIVE” in accompaniment with Tolü Makay’s “AYE” with Music Generation Ireland choir and the RTE Concert Orchestra live from Lough Boora , hosted by RTE ONE for Culture Night. Most recently, FELISPEAKS performed in THISISPOPBABY’s production of “WAKE” for the Dublin Fringe Festival and performed in “It’s Cool in the Shade” by Kwaku Fortune in Project Arts Centre as a part of Dublin Theatre Festival. FELISPEAKS recently collaborated with Crosscare in The Big Tree Project as a poetry and creative workshop officer.

FELISPEAKS is currently enjoying creating poetry and performance pieces that always promise to introduce their audience to the journey of emotion in every story. Honored to share their thought processes about life’s experiences and their passions on stage; FELISPEAKS hopes to inspire thought, excitement and perspective. FELISPEAKS recently released their single “TOUGH MEAT” and is eagerly awaiting the release of their EP – that they’ve been working on with Purgatory Studios, they are so excited to show you a new side to themselves, poetry and music like never before!

Stephanie Dufresne is a dancer, actor and choreographer from the West of Ireland currently based in Dublin. Stephanie holds a BA in Dance from the Rotterdam Dance Academy and is a graduate of the full-time programme for screen acting at the Bow Street Academy in Smithfield. Since graduating Stephanie has combined her skills as a performer for companies such as Junk Ensemble, Emma Martin/United Fall, Protein Dance and Irish National Opera. Stephanie played the lead role of Karen in Selina Cartmell’s production of the Red Shoes for the Gate Theatre in 2017 and recently finished a run of a new Deirdre Kinahan play, Tempesta, in Glass Mask Theatre, Dublin. Stephanie was one of only four performers in Irish National Opera’s production of Least Like the Other which won an Ivor Novello award in 2023 and was nominated for an Olivier. Stephanie’s own work as a choreographer is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

Disquiet Nights is curated by Megs Morley and supported by The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media through the Late-Night Events (Pilot Programme).