Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) comprises a core team whose experience and specialisations includes theatre production, national and international touring, networking and promotion, policy and strategic development, research, publishing, financial and business management, and artist development. The ITI Team engages directly with independent artists via our programme of activities and remains committed and passionate about Irish theatre.
Staff can be contacted by phone on +353 (0)1 670 4906, on info@irishtheatreinstitute.ie or by using the individual’s details below.
The Team
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Niamh has been Director of ITI since April 2022. Niamh has 29 years professional experience in the arts sector, she has worked with many leading organisations including: Mermaid County Wicklow Arts Centre as Director, Project Arts Centre as Executive Producer, The Gallery of Photography, Black Church Print Studio (an artists’ resource organisation for Fine Art Print), and Arthouse Multimedia Centre. A passionate advocate for the sector, Niamh is presently Chair of the Board of Dublin Fringe Festival and has served on many boards over the past years, including: CoisCéim Dance Theatre; Theatre Forum Ireland; and The National Campaign for the Arts.
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As General Manager, Richie is responsible for the smooth running of Operations and Administration, Financial Management, Funding, Communications, Governance, Scheduling, Staff Management and
Organisational Welfare. Richie has worked previously as the Festival Administrator with Dublin Theatre Festival and is a former Company Manager with Druid. Richie has also worked as a freelance Producer and as a Stage Manager with companies including Druid, The Abbey, The Gate, Rough Magic, and Fishamble: The New Play Company. He has a Masters in Cultural Policy and Arts Management and a Bachelor of Business – Accounting (Honours). -
Narod Shahinian is an Armenian theatre-maker and drama facilitator from Greece. She has produced and translated plays and multidisciplinary arts performances both in Ireland and in Greece.
Narod volunteered for Crooked House Theatre Company through the European Solidarity Corps programme, and progressed into the role of International Projects Manager, developing and coordinating international youth arts projects. Narod was assistant director in a Creative Europe project with InterAlia called ECHO III: For Memory’s Sake – an arts and heritage project that brought together international artists working in the fields of theatre, music, visual arts and literature. The project set out to explore tradition and culture through the themes of marriage, arranged marriages and nuclear families in the Balkan context. It also explored gender roles and norms through history and the subsequent impact on young people in Europe.
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As Programme Manager, Katherine manages ITI’s suite of programmes, including Six in the Attic/Virtual Attic, various residencies and bursaries, and networking and showcasing events (Information Toolbox during Dublin Fringe and the International Theatre eXchange during Dublin Theatre Festival). Prior to working on the programme, she worked across various roles in the organisation, but most significant on Playography for over six years. Katherine has worked across various roles with Landmark Productions, Brooklyn Web Fest, Day One, Super Paua and Dublin Fringe Festival. She graduated with a joint BA in Drama Studies and English Literature from Trinity College Dublin in 2014.
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Kate is a playwright and theatre artist who has also worked as a producer and designer for over 15 years. As Playography Editor (part-time), she project manages all aspects of the Playography initiative: maintaining, developing, and illuminating the database. Prior to her role as Editor, Kate worked as Playography Researcher for Irish Theatre Institute from 2020-2024.
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Gráinne Pollak is a multilingual arts producer and project manager from Dublin. She holds an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths, University of London, and has produced new work & international tours for organisations, companies & festivals across Ireland and the UK, including ANU, Landmark Productions, MoLI, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rambert, the Gate Theatre, LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) and Dublin Fringe Festival. She has worked with a diverse range of artists & companies including: Anne Enright, Grafton Architects, Paula Meehan, Fintan O’Toole, Fehdah, God Knows, Emilie Pine, Sinéad Burke, Marina Carr, Branar, CoisCéim Dance Theatre & Irish National Opera (for Ulysses 2.2); Lloyd Newson (DV8), Jorge Puerta Armenta & Clémentine Deluy (Pina Bausch Foundation); Germaine Acogny (École des Sables); and Malou Airaudo. She has worked in arts administration roles in venues across Dublin including Science Gallery International, Dublin Theatre Festival, the Abbey Theatre, the Ark and the National Concert Hall.
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As Communications Manager for ITI and Safe to Create, Clare develops, implements and oversees communications to effectively describe and promote the organisation, its programmes and activities. Clare has had over 15 years’ experience successfully developing and delivering marketing plans for arts organisations, such as Dublin Fringe Festival, Poetry Ireland, The Everyman Cork, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork Printmakers and West Cork Music. She holds a master’s in Digital Marketing Strategy (MTU) and a master’s in Fine Art (Chelsea College of Art & Design).
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Siobhán Bourke is the founding Director of Irish Theatre Institute where she worked alongside Jane Daly to promote and support Irish theatre makers and companies through international networking and showcasing, artist mentoring, conferencing and publications. In 2017, Siobhán and Jane were jointly awarded the Special Tribute Award at the Irish Times Theatre Awards in recognition of their essential work with Irish Theatre Institute and their individual long-standing commitment to Irish theatre. Siobhán co-edited Stage & Screen Design Ireland 2007- 2014 for Irish Design (ID) in 2015. She was a founding member of Rough Magic Theatre Company (1984) where she worked as Executive Producer until 1998 having produced 50 shows, many of which toured around Ireland and internationally. In 1999, Siobhán edited the Rough Magic: First Plays anthology.
Parallel to her theatre work, Siobhán is a successful Film and TV Producer with her company Saffron Pictures, co-owned with Kathryn Lennon. Productions include the award-winning and critically-acclaimed dramas Whistleblower (RTÉ) and Love is the Drug (RTÉ) and most recently, a major six-part TV drama Acceptable Risk. Siobhán has served on several boards including the National Theatre Society, the Dublin Theatre Festival, Project Arts Centre and Dublin City Council Culture Company, and was also on the cultural relations committee of the Department of Foreign Affairs. As an occasional lecturer she has taught on several arts and culture-related courses including the Drama and Theatre Studies MPhil in Trinity and UCD’s MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management.
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Jane Daly was a Co-Director of Irish Theatre Institute from 2001 to 2021 where she worked with Siobhán Bourke to promote and support Irish theatre makers and companies through international networking and showcasing, artist mentoring, conferencing and publications. In 2017, Jane and Siobhán were jointly awarded the Special Tribute Award at the Irish Times Theatre Awards in recognition of their essential work with Irish Theatre Institute and their individual long-standing commitment to Irish theatre.
Born in Dublin and living in Galway, Jane has worked in the professional arts sector since 1984. She worked for Dublin Theatre Festival and MayFest, Glasgow’s International Arts Festival before becoming General Manager/Producer of Druid where, over eight years, she produced 30 shows, many of which toured both nationally and internationally. On leaving Druid in 1996, she set up Jane Daly Arts Management which provides project management, strategic planning and facilitation services to arts organisations, local authorities and third level theatre programmes. She was acting Drama Officer at the Arts Council in the late 90’s and, more recently, was Programme Manager for Galway’s successful bid to become the European Capital of Culture in 2020. She also served on the Board of the Abbey Theatre.
