junk ensemble was established in 2004 by identical twin sisters Megan Kennedy and Jessica Kennedy with a commitment to creating works of brave and imaginative dance theatre. Winners of Best Production Award 2011, Culture Ireland Touring Award in 2008, Excellence and Innovation Award in 2007 and listed as a Sunday Times Highlight in 2011, junk ensemble’s work continues to tour nationally and internationally. Their productions are often created in collaboration with artists from other disciplines to produce a rich mix of visual and performance styles that seeks to challenge the traditional audience performer relationship. This approach has led to productions being created in non-traditional or found spaces as well as more conventional theatre spaces. 

junk ensemble completed a residence and a commissioned work at The Tate, London in February 2012. They were Artists in Residence for Fingal County Council 2010/11 and Artistic Directors of Drogheda Youth Dance in 2007. Productions include The Falling Song (Belfast Festival at Queens 2012/Dublin Dance Festival 2012), Bird with boy (Dublin Theatre Festival 2012/Dublin Fringe Festival 2011), Sometimes we break (Tate Britain commission 2012), Five Ways to Drown (Arts Council Touring Grant 2012/Opened Dublin Dance Festival 2010), Pygmalian Revisited (Áix-en-Provence commission 2010), Drinking Dust (2008/09) and The Rain Party (2007). junk ensemble are part of Project Catalyst, an initiative of Project Arts Centre.

Jessica Kennedy trained in the United States, Dublin and London, completing her degree in Dance and English Literature at Middlesex University, London. She has performed with dance companies in the U.K., Romania, Germany, Holland, Edinburgh and Belgium. In Ireland she has worked with Blast Theory, Brokentalkers (The Blue Boy, In Real Time, On This One Night), Myriad Dance, eX Ensemble and in productions with The Abbey Theatre, The Ark Theatre and The Pavilion Theatre. She co-created the award winning film Motion Sickness in 2012 (international screenings include Tokyo, Barcelona, L.A., Mexico, Boston, Budapest, Berlin, Belfast, Regensburg) and has choreographed for and performed in films Wonder House (Dublin International Film Festival 2012), Her Mother’s Daughters (Winner Best Actress for cast Capalbio Festival Italy 2011/RTE Dance in the Box 2010) and Two Hundred Feet (2009). She also performs in a band. She was awarded Best Female Performer for Dublin Fringe Festival 2006. Jessica is the Dancer in Residence at RUA RED South Dublin Arts Centre.

Megan Kennedy trained at Alvin Ailey Dance Centre in New York City and received a B.A. Honours from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. Megan has performed with Retina Dance Company (UK), Storytelling Unplugged (Romania), Firefly Productions (Belgium) and in Ireland with CoisCéim Dance Theatre (Faun, As You Are), Brokentalkers (The Blue Boy, On This One Night), The Abbey Theatre (Romeo and Juliet), Bedrock Productions (Pale Angel), Blast Theory, and for The Pavilion and The Ark. For film: Blind Runner (Dance Ireland Commission) Wonder House (Jameson Film Festival 2012), Her Mother's Daughters (Winner Best Actress Capalbio Festival, Italy 2011/Dance on Camera Festival NYC/RTÉ Dance on the Box 2010), Siblings (Fergus Byrne). Other choreography includes Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades (Edinburgh Festival Theatre), Caucasion Chalk Circle (Samuel Beckett Theatre), and eX Choral Ensemble (IRL). Megan is a Director of Dance Ireland and a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar.