An experienced performance artist originally from Llandrindod Wells has been killed while rehearsing for an arts festival, after part of a display attached to a crane fell on top of her.
Emma Insley, 30, the daughter of former Powys County Council’s emergency officer, John Insley, and who studied dance in Cardiff, was killed last Wednesday while practising for a festival in Ireland.
The incident happened in a field in Lurgybrack, Letterkenny.
Emma, a former Llandrindod Wells High School pupil, who went on to complete a BTEC in Performing Arts (Circus) at Rubicon Dance in Cardiff, died when a large metal globe, which was attached to a crane fell upon her. She has been suspended on bungee ropes underneath the globe when it crashed from 30 feet and she was crushed to death.
Emma, who was a qualified physical performer with experience in the areas of acro-balance, bungee trapeze, rope, bungee stilts and theatre, was living at Clarence Place in London.’
She had been rehearsing an aerial display for the upcoming Bluestack Festival in Ballyshannon, Donegal with Fidget Feet aerial dance theatre company, who were due to perform as the finale act of the festival.
The accident happened at about 3pm at John Moore Crane Hire Ltd behind Lurgybrack National School. An ambulance rushed to the scene but Emma died in Letterkenny General Hospital at around 4pm.
The Health and Safety Executive immediately launched an inquiry. Gardai are also carrying out investigations although foul play is not suspected.
A spokesman for the HSA said: “We are aware of the incident and we are examining the circumstances.
“The information is that she was practising for a performance. She was practicing on bungee jumping equipment, she fell and equipment came down on top of her.”
Fidget Feet theatre company said what happened remained unknown and that they had lost “a dear and precious friend”.
“Emma has always been a bright spark and a boon to any gig,” they said in a statement.
“We all were respectful of the dangers of this kind of work. Emma faced this challenge in her life with courage and great generosity, helping others to get the right techniques to deal with situations they might face in their work.”
In a statement released jointly with Ms Insley’s family, they said that on the day of the incident she had been playing the part of Gaia, spirit of the earth.
Her family, who are now understood to have moved to Suffolk, said: “We just want to say how much we love Emma and how much we already miss her.
“She was doing what she loved most at the time of the accident.”
A spokeswoman for Donegal Council, which sponsors the Bluestack Festival, also extended its condolences to the woman’s relatives and said it would co-operate fully with an investigation.
It is unclear whether the rural arts festival, which was scheduled to run from September 25 to October 5, will now go ahead.
