Board of Directors

David is an Artistic Director, Producer and Arts Programmer with over 17 years’ experience working within the arts and cultural sector. In 2021 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Theatre Forum Ireland and in 2022 was appointed to the role of Chairperson.

From 2018-22 David was Theatre Programme Manager at VISUAL Carlow, one of Ireland’s leading contemporary Arts Centres. In his position as Programme Manager, David commissioned, co-commissioned and presented work by some of Irelands leading artists and companies. He was instrumental in developing and structuring the organisations artist support and development programme, supporting the development of artists and companies such as United Fall, Cian Kinsella, Feli Speaks, Equinox Theatre Company and Bombinate Theatre. This programme focused on long term and institutionally embedded modes of support that better served the long-term sustainability of artists and their practices.

Working alongside a wide variety of artists and community collaborators David also produced ambitious community engagement and participatory programmes that sought to embed artists practice on local level, to promote the development of new audiences for both the institution and the artist. He also led on VISUAL’s involvement in the Arts & Humanities Entrepreneurship Hub Project, an EU funded project which was established to improve the entrepreneurial capacity of Arts & Humanities graduates through dedicated support and training. His book ‘Our Thriving Tribe; Exploring Entrepreneurship in the Arts’ launched in 2021 and features contributions from a variety of emerging and established Irish artists, practitioners and arts works from across the sector.

From 2019 – 22 David was the Chairperson of the Strollers Network, Ireland’s largest consortium of Art Centres. During his time as chair, he led on the development of the network’s renewed strategic direction and creation of its current artist development programme, PROPEL.

He is a former lecturer of Drama and Performance Studies at Carlow College and has also guest lecturerd in areas such as creative design thinking and cultural entrepreneurship at other international educational institutions such as University of Wales, Universida de Alcalá and South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences. He is the founder and former artistic director of the Collaborative Artists Collective.

David holds a BA in Drama & Performance form TU Dublin, an MFA in Art in the Contemporary World from the National College of Art & Design and a Prof Dip in Creativity, Innovation & Leadership from UCD.

A native of Waterford Mary has been committed to supporting artists and arts activity throughout her 30-year career.  Since graduating from Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College Mary has spent many years working in a range of management roles in the arts sector.  She has worked as Production Manager on various theatre productions as well as Company Producer with Red Kettle Theatre Company.  Mary’s work has brought her to Donegal, Galway and Cork as well as her native Waterford.

With 13 years’ experience as Theatre Manager at the Theatre Royal, Mary has recently stepped into the role of Theatre Director incorporating the programming and artistic leadership of the organisation.  Mary continues to play a major role in the development of the venues journey while continuing to maximise on increased supports to artists through the venues annual programming strategy and resources.

As a venue partner with the South East Venues Network, Mary continues to deliver supports to the sector regionally.

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Tom Creed is a theatre and opera director, festival director and independent producer, originally from Cork and now based in Dublin. He has been a member of the voluntary steering committee of the National Campaign for the Arts since 2016, who have worked to ensure the survival and recovery of the arts sector during the pandemic.

He has directed with the Abbey, Gate, Irish National Opera, Thisispopbaby, Rough Magic, his own company Playgroup, and many other Irish companies and performers. His work has been seen at the Paris Opera, the Barbican in London, the Edinburgh, Perth and Melbourne International Festivals, and BAM and the Public Theatre in New York.

He has been Festival Director of Cork Midsummer Festival, Theatre and Dance Curator of Kilkenny Arts Festival and Associate Director of Rough Magic. He is on the board of GAZE Film Festival, and was previously on the board of Macnas and Dublin Fringe Festival.

Orla has twenty years of arts management, producing and programming experience. She has been Director of glór in Ennis, a thriving arts centre with a 505-seat theatre, a 60-seat studio, gallery and café, since 2016.

Prior to joining glór Orla was Theatre Producer at Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival since January 2012. Here she programmed a large range of UK and international theatre and circus for Brighton Festivals 2012-2016, collaborating with Guest Directors Vanessa Redgrave, Michael Rosen, Hofesh Shechter, Ali Smith and Laurie Anderson.  She also led an innovative year-round theatre programme and a range of artist development initiatives at Brighton Dome. Previously she was General Manager at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill (2011).

Before moving to the UK, Orla was Producer & General Manager at Fishamble: The New Play Company for five years, where she produced ten world premiere productions which toured Ireland and internationally. Orla participated in the Arts Management Fellowship programme (2007-08) at the John F. Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C., for which she was awarded a Fulbright.

Orla was Literary Officer at the Abbey Theatre from 2001-2005. Whilst at the Abbey she received funding to develop her dramaturgy skills at the Sundance Theatre Lab, Utah, and the Schaubuhne’s Festival of International New Drama, Berlin. Orla worked as Marketing Administrator at the National Concert Hall upon graduation from University College Dublin with a BA in English and Philosophy.

Paul Johnson is an arts manager, curator, mentor and dramaturge. He is the former Chief Executive of Dance Ireland. Paul’s background is in dance, theatre, film and multi-media, working as a performer, choreographer and collaborator for a range of companies including Dublin Contemporary Dance Theatre, IMDT, Scottish Ballet Steps Out, TAG Theatre Company and Brother Films. He ran his own company MaNDaNCE (1991-2001) and was Choreographer in Residence with Project Arts Centre, documented in Fine Lines on Shifting Ground: Reflections on a Choreographic Process (Project Press, 2000).

A creative and strategic thinker with extensive experience in management, leadership, strategy development, governance and relationship building. He was Artists Services Manager with the Arts Council (2003-2006).  He led on the successful opening of DanceHouse in 2006, and over a 14year period grew the programme and reach to create a public-facing flagship home for dance. His previous board experience includes serving on the Arts Council (2009 to 2013), and for Dance Resource Base NI and Ballet Ireland. He is currently a director trustee of IMDT and Create.

A graduate of DCU, Johnson has earned a BA and MA in Communications & Cultural Studies and is currently undertaking a Professional Certificate in Governance (IPA, Dublin), in addition to working on a range of mentorship and consultancy projects.

Orla is Executive Director at Project Arts Centre, a multidisciplinary space in Dublin, which promotes exchange, experimentation and the presentation of extraordinary work that inspires and provokes. Orla manages human and financial resources and works closely with the Artistic Director, Board and executive in developing and implementing policy and strategy. In the last two years, Orla played a key role in the development of a new policy Towards Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, which sits at the heart of Project’s new five year strategy.

Previously, as Head of Arts Participation with the Arts Council/ An Chomhairle Ealíon (2007 – 2013), Orla managed funding relationships and application processes, and led on the development of new policies in Cultural Diversity, Arts and Disability, and Arts and Health. She has extensive experience in arts management, research, policy development, and evaluation, having worked both as an independent arts consultant, and in senior arts management roles e.g. Director, Bealtaine Festival; Acting Director, Droichead Arts Centre; Regional Development Manager, Music Network.

Orla holds a BA in Pure English and an MA in Adult and Community Education. She has served on the Boards of Dance Limerick, Create, and Barnstorm Theatre Company, and is currently on the Board of Music Network.

Aaron Monaghan, co-founder and now the Artistic Director of Livin’ Dred Theatre Company, is a director as well as a multi-awarding winning actor with numerous theatre, film and TV appearances. He trained at The Samuel Beckett Centre, Trinity College Dublin. Aaron has worked extensively with the Abbey Theatre, and with Druid Theatre Company, of which he is an ensemble member and with which he has toured. He has also worked with companies such as Fishamble, Bedrock, Yew Tree and Livin’ Dred, which he co-founded in 2004. Aaron is a recipient of a Lucille Lortel Award, Manchester Evening News Award, an Irish Times Irish Theatre Award and an OBIE Award for Outstanding Performance.

Ronan is a freelance theatre director based in Dublin working across a variety of scales and styles including new writing, reimagined classics and musical theatre. Since 2017 he has held the role of Associate Director at Rough Magic Theatre Company.   In 2020 he was nominated as Best Director at the Irish Times Theatre Awards for his production of Much Ado About Nothing for Rough Magic and Kilkenny Arts Festival.Previous directing credits include KITCHENSINKDRAMA (The Collective), Much Ado About Nothing and Tonic  (Rough Magic and Kilkenny Arts Festival), Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Rough Magic, Dublin Theatre Festival and National Tour), All Mod Cons (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Some Names Were Changed (15th Oak and Dublin Fringe Festival ), Annie (Cork Opera House).Ronan is a former participant of the Abbey Theatre’s Resident Assistant Director programme and is a graduate of the TU Dublin Conservatory of Music and Drama.