Ms Marie Fitzpatrick

Marie teaches on programmes for BA Dance and MA Performance Practices (Programme Leader 2018-2020). 

Before joining DMU as a full time member of the dance team, Marie worked extensively as an independent dance artist in the UK and internationally since 1994, creating her own choreographic work and undertaking performance and touring roles with prominent dance/theatre companies and artists.  She has diverse pedagogic experience within the creative arts sector such as in dance and disability, community, prison, professional, further and higher education contexts.  Marie has also held advocacy, consultancy and chair roles with artist led and national dance organisations.

Since 2014, Marie’s professional practice has expanded into the field of psychotherapy.  She is a UKCP registered Gestalt Psychotherapist  and a member of professional bodies such as the UK Association for Gestalt Practitioners ( UKAGP) and Gestalt Psychotherapy Training Institute (GPTI). Her research specialism explores the intersection of arts and mental health practices that have a focus on relationality and embodiment. Current research focuses on the role of embodied and relational practices in relation to the experience of individual and collective grief.

• Institute of Dance, Drama and Performance Studies
• Mary Seacole Research Centre
• Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Dance

Doughty, S. and Fitzpatrick, M. (2016) ‘The Identity of Hybrid Dance Artist- Academics Working Across Academia and the Professional Arts Sector’ in Choreographic Practices: Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century British Dance. Intellect Press. Vol 7(1), April 2016

Doughty, S. and Fitzpatrick, M. (2015) The dual identity of the hybrid dance artist-academic. Dance 4 Online Conversations, 13 March 2015. Available from: www.youtube.com/dance4presents

Fitzpatrick, M. (2015) three ones, NottDance Festival. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 11 March 2015.

Fitzpatrick, M. (2015) three ones Cultural Exchanges Festival, De Montfort University, Leicester.  26 February 2015.

Fitzpatrick, M. (2014) The three-ness of three ones IN: Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, 6:2 London, Intellect Ltd. pp 143-157

Fitzpatrick, M. et al. (2014) Quick Shifts. Cultural Exchanges Festival (DMU) February 2014.

Fitzpatrick, M.  (2013) [Interview] Dance and People. Vol 4. South Korea.

 Fitzpatrick, M. et al. (2013) What’s the Score? Quick Shifts at NottDance Festival. March 2013.

Fitzpatrick, M. et al. (2013) Quick Shifts. Embrace Arts, Leicester.  March 2013

Fitzpatrick, M. (2013) [Interview] Dance and People. Vol 4. South Korea.

Doughty, S. and Fitzpatrick, M. (2016) ‘The Identity of Hybrid Dance Artist- Academics Working Across Academia and the Professional Arts Sector’ in Choreographic Practices: Questioning the Contemporary in 21st Century British Dance. Intellect Press. Vol 7(1), April 2016

Doughty, S. and  Fitzpatrick, M.  (2015) The dual identity of the hybrid dance artist-academic. Dance 4 Online Conversations, 13 March 2015. Available from: www.youtube.com/dance4presents

Fitzpatrick, M.  (2015) three ones, NottDance Festival. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 11 March 2015.

Fitzpatrick, M. (2014) The three-ness of three ones IN: Journal of Dance & Somatic Practices, 6:2 London, Intellect Ltd. pp 143-157

• The intersection of arts and mental health practices with a focus on relationality and embodiment
• Trauma, loss and grief.
• Improvisation
• Dance practice-as-research
• Interdisciplinary performance practices

• Movement improvisation 
• Contact improvisation 
• Devising and Choreography 
• Performance  
• UK dance profession/infrastructure 
• Research Methodologies (post-graduate)
• Reflective practice
• Practice-as-Research

• Advanced Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy (level 7)
• MA by Independent Study: Dance - Distinction
• BA (Hons) Performing Arts: Dance 

• Dance BA (Hons)
• Performing Arts (Hons)
• MA Peformance Practices

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), 2018.

Associate Artist post at Dance 4: National Dance Agency for the East Midlands, 2000.

• UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• Gestalt Psychotherapy Training Institute (GPTI)
• UK Association for Gestalt Practitioners (UKAGP)

Gestalt Psychotherapist: UKCP full registered member

Recent conference attendance:

UKAssociation for Gestalt Practitioners (UKAGP) conference 2020 (online) - Speaking Out. 31st October 2020

Good Grief Festvial 2020 (online) - 30 October -1 November 2020

Istituto di Gestalt conference (online) HCC  Italy - Dialogues on Psychotherapy at the Time of Coronavirus. 12-14 June 2020.

Recent presentations:

Fitzpatrick, M (2020) This Grief Thing: relational practices. Arts, Humanities, Health and Well-Being Interdisciplinary Forum, DMU (online) 13 November 2020

Fitzpatrick, M. (2019) Can we talk about grief? 'Building Bridges’ in Applied Arts and Health, Education and Community Conference. Hosted by Journal of Applied Arts and Health (JAAH) Telford. 7–10 August 2019. 

Fitzpatrick, M. (2017) What’s in it for us? The role of authenticity within 21^st Century dance practices. Dance Fields conference. Roehampton University, London  April 2017.

Fitzpatrick, M. and Doughty, S. (2017) Keynote speaker: Challenging Futures in Dance, Drama and Music conference. University of Huddersfield, April 2017

Conference presentations:

 Fitzpatrick, M. and Doughty, S. (2014) Mapping the landscape: the identity of hybrid dance artist-academics working in institutions and the professional arts sector. Independent Dance, Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, London, 17^th September 2014.

 Fitzpatrick, M. and Doughty, S. (2014) Mapping the landscape: the identity of hybrid dance artist-academics working in institutions and the professional arts sector. Thinking Dance symposium, Leeds Met University, 18^th July, 2014.

 Fitzpatrick, M. and Doughty, S. (2013) Mapping the landscape: the identity of hybrid dance artist-academics working in institutions and the professional arts sector. Inventing Futures: Artistic research with/in Educational Institutions at the Artez Institute for the Arts, The Netherlands, 13^th December 2013.

 Fitzpatrick, M. (2013) ‘My Body for Me, My Body for You’: Perspectives on a choreographic process. Intermediality and Performance Research Symposium, De Montfort University, Leicester, 2^nd July 2013.

 Fitzpatrick, M. (2013) Teetering on the edge: re-thinking the relationship of body and space within a dance practice-as-research case study. What is Performance Philosophy? Staging a new field Conference. University of Surrey, 13^th April 2013.

Fitzpatrick, M.  (2013) Bodies in Making: the worlding of three ones. Dance and Somatic Practices Conference. Coventry University, 12-14 July 2013.

Breslin, J,  Cowley, J,  Fitzpatrick, M. Assessing collaborative practice in dance. Exploring the Hinterlands: mapping an agenda for institutional research conference, Southampton Solent University, June 2008.  (refereed paper)  Attendance funded by CEPA.

Fitzpatrick, M, M. O’Donnell, S. and Stevens, J.  ‘Re-thinking Dance Technique in Higher Education’ at PALATINE conference, De Montfort University. 29 November 2006.

Other forms of public presentation:

 Fitzpatrick, M. et al. (2014) Quick Shifts. Cultural Exchanges Festival (DMU) February 2014.

 Fitzpatrick, M. et al. (2013) Revivals. Quick Shifts. Cultural Exchanges Festival, DMU, Leicester. 21 February, 2013.

Fitzpatrick, M. et al. (2013) What’s the Score? Quick Shifts. NottDance Festival,    17 March 2013.

Fitzpatrick, M.  (2012) three ones. De Montfort University, Leicester                     November, 17 November 2012.

Fitzpatrick, M.  (2012)  three ones. Cultural Exchanges Festival, DMU, Leicester. 29 February 2012.  

Fitzpatrick, M. (2011) three ones. Quick Shifts at Embrace Arts, Leicester. 30 October 2011. 

• External Examiner for  BA Dance programme - Edge Hill University (2015 -2018)
• Interview panellist for the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) Dance 4, East Midlands (NDA)   2009-2010.
• Dance artist consultant for Ian Ritchie Architects, London on behalf of Dance 4 (NDA) February 2010.
• Interview Panellist for Architecture competition of Space 4, for Dance 4 (NDA) 2010.
• External panellist for the validation of BA Dance in the Community, University of East Anglia and University of Essex. 2009.
• Board Member, PreSet Studios, Nottingham. 2004-05.
• Chair of Force 5, East Midlands region. 2003-05.

Phd Supervision is offered in the areas of:

• Arts and mental health practices with a focus on relationality and embodiment
• Interdisciplinary performance practices
• Embodiment and relational practices