About
Living Rhythms is the participatory arts practice of Heather Griffin and Patrick Mulvihill, working at the intersection of art, design and futures. We bring communities of place and interest together to speculate about alternative narratives and realities through play, story and experiential learning. What we present is grounded in lived experience, local mythologies and the rhythms of everyday life.
Our process is research-led and iterative. We begin with sustained, embedded engagement, deep listening and conversation, gathering oral histories, field recordings and situated knowledge as primary material. An ethic of care guides our practice: our engagements are consent-based and non-extractive, holding complexity rather than seeking to resolve it. We're drawn to histories and experiences that have been flattened or erased, and to how they continue to shape the present, resisting linear progress narratives that decide whose future counts.
Our work is interdisciplinary, informed by people, place and ecologies, expressed through audiovisual works, installations, performance, radio and writing. Sound is central to our practice for its power to immerse and draw listeners into other worlds, creating the conditions for attentiveness, connection and new imaginaries to emerge.
We have written, designed, recorded and performed live and immersive audio experiences and installations. These works have been commissioned by, produced with, and exhibited at IMMA, Science Gallery Dublin, Highlanes Gallery, Hunt Museum, Hometree, The Heritage Council, Creative Ireland, Workhouse Union, The Arts Council, London Design Festival, Istanbul Biennial, Bijlmer Museum, the British Film Institute, Open Set Amsterdam and Perform Istanbul.
A Giant Leap, commissioned by Science Gallery Dublin, was described as 'one of their most impactful projects in recent years', sparking the imagination of a global audience.
We also host a monthly residency on Éist, a digital community radio collective based in Cork city. The show is a sonic exploration of time and place, shaping narratives around themes that intersect with the questions and communities at the heart of our participatory practice.
A full list of our commissions and awards can be viewed .