Hoaretraits Ep. 7: Zeitgeist Irland 24 artist Dee Mulrooney

Hoaretraits is a series by photographer and podcaster Neil Hoare, that presents contemporary Irish artists that are part of Zeitgeist Irland 24 – the year’s cultural programme of contemporary arts from Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland in Germany. Conceived of by Hoare as ‘audio portraits’, the podcasts explore themes of creativity, imagination and craft in conversation a diverse range of Irish artists living in both Ireland and Germany.

For Episode 7, Neil talks with Dee Mulrooney, an Irish artist, performer, illustrator, teacher, activist, and mother. Known for her alter ego, Growler—an 82-year-old shamanic vulva from inner-city Dublin—she transforms women’s pain through raw, evocative storytelling, singing, and poetry. Growler, known for her humour and sharp wit, reflects Dee’s commitment to addressing complex social issues with emotional resonance. Dee will perform ‘Where ye From?’ on November 8th and ‘Tales from the Holywell’ on November 9th, both at the English Theatre Berlin. She will be joined by musicians Wallis Bird and Damien Dempsey for the latter event, which is part of the Zeitgeist Irland 24 programme. Growler also took part in Zeitgeist Irland 24 earlier in the year as one of the artists in the Irish Theatre Berlin festival, which ran May to June at the English Theatre Berlin, and at Findrinny Festival of New Irish Songs & Sounds in PAS cultural space in September.

Podcaster Neil Hoare is a multidisciplinary Irish artist living in Berlin with his dog Púca. His most recent photographic work ‘A Heimat away from Home’ is a series of portraits commissioned by the Embassy of Ireland in Germany documenting the Irish who made Germany their home since Ireland joined the EU 50 years ago. The experience of photographing so many people across Germany and hearing their stories led directly to the creation of Hoaretraits.