Catherine Hemelryk

Catherine Hemelryk FSRA (b. 1978) lives and works in Derry/Londonderry. She is Director of the Centre for Contemporary Art Derry~Londonderry (CCA), External Examiner at Birmingham School of Art and activist for Alliance for Choice Derry and Foyle Pride. At CCA Catherine curates CCA’s international programme of experimental, contemporary art supporting emerging practice through exhibitions, publishing, research, residencies and more as well as leads the team and acting as an advocate for the sector. Catherine is a MA Curating Contemporary Art graduate of the Royal College of Art, London, BA (hons) Fine Art from Newcastle University and studied Politics & Government with the Open University. She has worked at various institutions across Europe including Curator at CAC Vilnius and Artistic Director at NN Contemporary Art, Northampton. Under Catherine’s leadership, NN gained NPO status from Arts Council England. She has participated in curatorial residencies at HMK Hoorn, GeoAIR Tbilisi and Sea Foundation, Tilburg and was selected as a participant in the first cohort of the Escalator Retreat programme at Wysing Arts Centre. She has an artist-centered approach to curating and interests include politically-active artists, science fiction and narrative, modernism, brutalism, structures and movement and creating platforms to support artists’ professional development, experimentation and marginalized voices. Catherine is a member of the newly established Northern Ireland Art Network and Fellow of the RSA.