Mayo-based artist features on The Works Presents on RTÉ

JOHN Kelly is back with a new four-part series of The Works Presents on RTÉ. Starting on Thursday, November 23, four more of our most inspired and inspirational creative people are added to the extensive archive of this well-loved series.

Author Joseph O’Connor, artists Patricia Hurl and Mayo-based Mick O’Dea, and musician composer and artistic director of Crash Ensemble Kate Ellis talk with Kelly about how encounters with the arts transformed their lives and drove them to create the works they make.

During discussions with John, these influential creative minds provide perspectives on what has motivated their success in their respective domains. John delves into the sources of inspiration that fuel their creative processes and discovers the influences that compel them to produce their notable works.

In the first episode, he meets Dublin-born novelist, screenwriter and playwright Joseph O’Connor. His fiction has been translated into 40 languages - novels including Cowboys and Indians, Inishowen, Star of the Sea, and his most recent My Father’s House. In 2012, Joseph received the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature, and in 2014 he was appointed Frank McCourt Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.

Joseph speaks about how becoming a parent made him strive to be a more focused writer, while his students of all ages and backgrounds inspire him with their new perspectives. He reflects on his writing as a craft and at times experiencing imposter syndrome.

As the series continues, Patricia Hurl, who lives in Ballybritt, Co. Offaly, recalls finding a professional and personal connection with other older female artists. Dublin-based Kate Ellis speaks about life within Crash Ensemble.

Meanwhile, Clare-born Mick O’Dea, now living in Mayo, reminisces on how Irish history inspired his work.

Tune into the new series The Works Presents on Thursday, November 23, at 11.15 p.m. on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.