The Linenhall Arts Centre welcomes a new interim director this month who will manage the organisation for 2022.
Castlebar native Fiona Neary is delighted to join the Linenhall team, and looks forward to guiding it through this current period of change, bringing her expertise in leadership and organisational management, with an abundance of plans for the year ahead.
Neary has had various hands-on roles in the arts sector, including Chair of Galway Arts Centre during its restructuring in 2020/2021. She has produced successful theatre projects such as Are you there Una?, advised on the programming, restructuring and recruitment of Cuirt International Literature Festival, and guided multiple arts agencies – most recently supporting An Taibhdhearch in actioning a ground-breaking arrangement with An Fibin sa Taibhdhearch. She has also curated Galway African Film Festival and remains involved with Galway Theatre Festival.
She stated: “My family are Mayo on both sides, as far back as any of us can remember, hailing from Ross, Lacken, and Mulranny. Like many Mayo natives, we emigrated for economic reasons, for a decade or so, and returned to small farming in Castlebar, out the Pontoon Road.
"On my way to school, I walked past the Arts Centre building when it was in the Mall. Now it’s moved into the heart of Castlebar at The Linenhall. Bernie and the team have done a tremendous job, working with artists and audiences’ throughout the pandemic. The arts proved essential during lockdowns and self-isolating, connecting us with each other, our community, stories, traditions and our creativity”, enthused Neary about her appointment to one of Ireland’s oldest arts centres.
The Linenhall will continue as an accessible, vibrant community arts centre, harnessing the learnings from recent years and moving forward with exciting new ventures such as the inaugural Mayo International Film Festival. Current Director, Bernadette Greenan, will be on leave from January 17, 2022 and will resume her post in 2023. Learn more about Linenhall events in 2022 via their website www.thelinenhall.com
