Louise O'Kelly

Louise O’Kelly is an independent curator based in London. In 2015 she founded Block Universe, London’s leading international performance art festival and commissioning body, with the mission to create a platform and support structure for a new generation of interdisciplinary artists working with performance. Block Universe commissions and produces works by UK-based and international artists which are presented at major institutions and off-site locations across London annually, expanding in 2019 to present work internationally.

O’Kelly regularly speaks in relation to performance, and has delivered lectures, talks, and contributed to panel discussions at the invitation of universities and institutions. She currently sits on the committee for a UK-wide Live Art Sector Review in partnership with LADA and Arts Council England, and inaugurated the Performance Research Network with founding members Liverpool Biennial and Glasgow International, supported by Art Fund.

Since 2012, she is Artforum’s representative in the UK, managing relationships with galleries and institutions across the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, Australia & New Zealand.