Tricia Cooney - For over 20 years Tricia has combined costume making, community arts and a love of mythology in her work as an artist, exhibiting wearable art and leather masks and creating large festival performances with community groups.
In 1988, with other artists working in a similar way, a professional street theatre/ theatre of celebration troupe, CIRCUS SOLARUS, was formed.
Tricia was awarded a 2001 - CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP - Research and study tour to look at the carnival tradition in Europe
Tricia has studied construction and decoration of large scale carnival floats and costumes and community workshop organisation in UK and European carnivals.
As part of the tour, I visited various artists from the different carnival traditions and returned by invitation in 2003 to work with Ray Mahabir on costumes for the Merseyside International Street Festival.