In the still shock of the 2020 London lockdown, Barry began writing letters to their father. He had died four years earlier. A simple mourning ritual grew and allowed Barry to move again.

Mourning is a Muscle is the culmination of those letters, a denim-drenched journey through grief, connection, queerness, and lineage - part performance, part installation. Focusing on the relationship of a father and queer child, and a story of a derelict farm, it fuses movement, music, design and ritual. Playfully delving into gender, how we carry the landscape of home, and the joy of moving as our true selves.

From Annie Lennox to Neil Diamond, Carlow fields to London lockdown, line dancing to lip-syncing - it moves across time and place, landing in tender and electric moments. A call to witness mourning in all its forms: spectacular, ordinary, and everything in between. Having performed Mourning is a Muscle at Carlow Arts Festival 2024 as a work in progress, Barry now brings the full version of this piece back to the festival and his hometown.

Outside of scheduled performances, the performance space will open at set times for self-guided visits. You’re invited to enter, have a cup of tea, sit with the work, and spend time with it in your own way.

Funded by The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon. Mourning is a Muscle has been supported by Carlow Arts Festival, Carlow Arts Office, Dublin Fringe Festival, OUTBOX and VISUAL Carlow.

Tickets can be purchased online, in person or over the phone at Box Office. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Wheelchair users and any group over 8 persons should book tickets directly through Box Office. Further Terms and Conditions can be found at visualcarlow.ie/visit/booking-information.