BIOGRAPHY:
Caitlin Dear is an interdisciplinary artist based in Narrm (Melbourne) who works with choreography, live art, public programs and discursive practice. Caitlin's values and approaches, both artistically and beyond, are informed by their perspective as a queer, trans and disabled person. They are a passionate thinker, mover, reader, scholar and collaborator who has neurodivergent-style special interests in human-tree relations, plant intelligence, the nature of perception and theoretical/philosophical frameworks.
Caitlin employs choreographic thinking and somatic approaches across the diverse tendrils of their practice to create sensorially and intellectually engaging experiences. This could be a participatory experience, an educational talk, action in a gallery or outdoor engagement in a public setting.
Whatever the context, Caitlin’s work prioritises community/audience participation. Through incorporating immersive and interactive elements, they bring people into a direct and embodied engagement with the inquiries of their projects. Thus, working toward dissolving boundaries between artist, audience, artwork and everyday life.
Caitlin’s work has been described to (paradoxically) engender clinical wonder and focused multiplicity, encouraging audiences to ponder philosophical problems from an embodied perspective with a scientific sensibility.
ARTIST MISSION STATEMENT:
TO CREATE PROJECTS THAT:
ASK QUESTIONS;
ENGENDER RECONSIDERATION;
FURTHER KNOWLEDGE;
INTRODUCE THE BODY AS A SITE FOR INQUIRY;
FACILITATE CONNECTION AND ACCESSIBLE PARTICIPATION;
EMPLOY INTER/TRANS/POST-DISCIPLINARY APPROACHES;
CREATE MALLEABLE RELATIONS BETWEEN
FACILITATOR, AUDIENCE, AUTHOR AND ARTWORK.
EDUCATION:
University:
Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance) completed between DOCH, Stockholm University of the Arts (Sweden) and Deakin University (Australia); Bachelor of Arts (Photography/Fine Art ) Edith Cowan University, Western Australia.
Short Courses:
Community Organisation & Outreach Skills (City of Yarra, Moreland City Council & City of Darebin); Building Aboriginal Cultural Competency (Koorie Heritage Trust); Cultural Safety in a Disability Context (Arts Access Victoria); Pathways Program for Queer & Disabled Artists (Midsumma); Trauma-Informed Approaches for Community & Somatic Practices (Collective Being); Emerging Choreographers Program (Dancehouse); Certificate III in Dance (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts).
ARTISTIC DIRECTORSHIP:
Member of Artistic Director board at BLINDSIDE gallery, Narrm, 2024-present.
IN-RESIDENCE:
2025 Boyd Studio Resident with Joy Zhou & Emily Simek, supported by City of Melbourne.
PERFORMANCE & LIVE ART:
Co-Worm-Ing
2025, series of performative walks in public space, with Joy Zhou & Emily Simek
Tree Time
2022, Collingwood Children's Farm, within The Green Bee, Melbourne
2022, Edinburgh Gardens, for the City of Yarra, Melbourne
2020, c3 contemporary art space, Melbourne
2019, Inter Arts Center, Malmö
2018, Index Contemporary Art Foundation, Stockholm
Dancing Affordances
2020, Dancehouse, Melbourne
Sensory Studies
2019, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
Meaning - Nothingness (in-process performance)
2018, produced by INSISTER SPACE, Weld, Stockholm
Qualia
2017, Platform Festival, The Owl and Cat Theatre, Melbourne
2017, within festival Size Doesn’t Matter (really), Testing Grounds, Melbourne
2016, within double bill Perceiving in Action, Testing Grounds, Melbourne
Programmed Responses
2016, First Run program, Lucy Guerin Inc, Melbourne
2016, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Schoolhouse Studios, Melbourne
PUBLIC PROGRAMS:
Since 2021, Caitlin has been running public programs at Dancehouse including:
On The Table: a weekly community event for artistic exchange and collaborative working, co-run with Rebecca Jensen (formerly with Ebony Muller). Expanding beyond traditional in-process showing formats, artists are asked to share their work in ways that invite others to partake in their explorations; putting something ‘on the table’ for everyone attending to examine together. On The Table is now in it's fourth year of programming.
The Green Bee: a community program bringing people together to work for the climate in art and action. Co-designed with Rebecca Jensen, it comprises free workshops facilitated by local artists, activists, scientists, environmentalists and community groups. Working sessions inspire cross-disciplinary approaches to climate action through a mix of art, advocacy, action, discussion, and practical support of local campaigns. Through this collaborative work, The Green Bee aims to build meaningful connections, future collaborations, support networks, and friendships.
Public Program for MASS-BLOOM Exploration: a public program of community-engagement talks, events & workshops to accompany the Recoil Group (Denmark) performance-installation MASS-Bloom Exploration. A durational work involving 1 human performer and 100,000 live mealworms. The program included an ecological reading group, panel discussion on Decomposition as Methodology (with Tina Tarpgaard, Luna Mrozik Gawler and Emily Simek), artist talk with Recoil Group, family workshops and an accompanying zine titled Thinking With Worms.
Since 2016, Caitlin has been involved with various public programming, community-building and collectivising initiatives within the arts including:
Being an active member of Insister Space (when living in Sweden), a Stockholm-based organisation and network who "work with artistic practices as a base for organization and mobilizes itself towards a dancefield made of support and common engagement in art instead of an increasingly individualized workforce".
Interested in platforms for artistic exchanges, with Jessica Matheson, Caitlin initiated Test{ing} club - regular 'malleable meetings' that ran during 2017, providing an informal space for people of all (un)artistic backgrounds to exchange, collaborate, challenge, propose, critique, test, expand discourse, support each other, practice together- do together.
Whilst studying at Deakin University across 2016-2017, Caitlin initiated and directed a co-curricular education program, inviting guest artists from varying disciplines to teach workshops focusing on research, performance making or socially engaged practices. Participants were aided in relating information to their own work and in forming interdisciplinary and collaborative relationships with peers.
ACADEMIC/DIDACTIC:
Published in journal Choreographic Practices Volume 13.2, co-authored On The Table: An Open Invitation with Dr. Ebony Muller, 2022
Speaker at (In)Corporeal Encounters Session Four: Weathered Bodies, in conversation with Carol Brown, Gregory Lorenzutti and Renae Shadler. Podcast documentation is available. Within a program of talks co-presented by Victorian College of the Arts and Dancehouse, curated by Professor Carol Brown, Dr Philipa Rothfield and VCA Creative Researchers Shinjita Roy and Brooke Stamp, 2022
Taught at university Victorian College of the Arts. Led a workshop on experimental, embodied reading practices as part of the Masters of Dance subject on choreographic reading, writing and archiving, 2022
Presented at conference Working With The Vegetal III, held at Stockholm University of the Arts, Sweden, 2019
Presented at research symposium Interference Lab #8 hosted by Inter Arts Center and Malmö Academy of Music, Lund University, Sweden 2019
Taught professional training classes for Danscentrum, Sweden 2019
Taught professional training classes for Höjden Hus, Sweden 2019
Presented at conference Working With The Vegetal held at Stockholm University of the Arts, Sweden, 2018
Facilitated an ‘open reading space’ at Index Swedish Contemporary Art Foundation, 2018
Facilitated a research workshop for POSSE- a dancing/reading group, Sweden, 2018
Lead a workshop for Test{ing} Club- a group for artistic practice exchange and collaboration, Melbourne, 2017
FOR SUPPORTING CAITLIN'S PRACTICE, SPECIAL THANKS ARE SENT TO:
Dancehouse (Melbourne) through various collaborations and programs
Lucy Guerin Inc (Melbourne) through Frame, Out of Bounds and First Run
Midsumma (Melbourne) through their Pathways program
Temperance Hall (Melbourne) through the Out of Bounds program
City of Melbourne (Melbourne) through their Arts Grants program
City of Yarra (Melbourne) through various Grants programs
Testing Grounds (Melbourne) through support in developing and presenting performances
Punctum Inc. (Castlemaine, Aust.) through the mentorship of Artistic Director Jude Anderson
Schoolhouse Studios (Melbourne) through support in presenting a performance season
Inter Arts Center (Malomö, Sweden) through a research residency and technical support
INSISTER SPACE (Stockholm, Sweden) by providing a supportive yet critical peer network
Independent dance artists Ashley Dyer and James Batchelor through their mentorship
PERFORMANCE HISTORY:
2020 (Melbourne, Australia):
Dancing Affordances by Caitlin Dear, part of Submerge Festival, Dancehouse
2018 (Stockholm, Sweden):
Meaning - Nothingness by Caitlin Dear (in progress performance), Weld
Splendour by Stina Nyberg, remounted for DOCH (Department of Dance and Circus), Stockholm University of the Arts
Borrowed Landscape by Heine Avdal and Yukiko Shinozaki, presented site specifically at supermarket ICA Maxi Lindhagen, for Stockholm University of the Arts
2017 (Melbourne, Australia):
Tim Collins Speaks by Geoffrey Watson, performance lecture commissioned for the Dance Speaks program, Counihan Gallery
The Infirmary by Triage Live Art Collective, Punctum Inc.
Qualia by Caitlin Dear, Testing Grounds and The Owl and Cat Theatre
Untitled Performance by Natalie Abbott, MPavilion
2016 (Melbourne, Australia):
Re-Vault by Jonathan Sinatra, M47 Festival, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art & Batman Park
Wrapped by Hiromi Tango, Melbourne Festival Public Art Biennale, Queen Vic Markets
The Sequel by Leah Landau, Dancehouse
Social Studies: Epic Theatre by Shian Law, Dancehouse
Trilogy by Nic Green, Arts House
Untitled Performance by Ashlee Barton and Caitlin Dear, commissioned by Alexandra Chambers as a part of exhibition Celestial Bodies, The Oratory, Abbotsford Convent
NOW. by Kaitlyn McConnell, as part of the programme Signature, Studio 221
2015 (Melbourne, Australia):
Bells and Whistles by Shaun Mcleod and Never Arriving by Olivia Millard, as a part of double bill Move to Go for Deakin University, Studio B
2013 & 2012 (various locations):
Couched by Kynan Hughes and Scratch the Surface by Alice Lee Holland and James O’Hara as a part of the triple bill Threefold for STEPS, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Scratch the Surface by James O’Hara, Alice Lee Holland and Ruth Osborne for STEPS & Quantum Leap, TNUA theatre, Taipei, Taiwan
Try Hard by Alice Lee Holland and Adam Wheeler for STEPS, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia, Perth, Australia