ABOUT THE BOARD
Yvonne Coughlan (Chair), MA Theatre and Drama studies, UCC, founded her company RSVP (Red Sandstone Varied Productions) in 2006, and has co-created and directed; arts participatory projects in short film and theatre, site specific theatre projects, inter-disciplinary performances, festival installations and community arts events, since that time. Her heart lies with the artistic direction of the performer on screen or stage, and many prominent Cork heritage locations have provided memorable settings for her work, such as Blackrock Castle, Fota House and Gardens, The Old Cork Waterworks; and Cork City Gaol, where the first RSVP production of Yvonne’s writing The Haunted History Tours, began in 2007. Yvonne is an award winning filmmaker and screenwriter, and produces music video, experimental short film, promotional film and documentary film projects. She has produced live performances, radio podcasts, and art films, with international creatives, and on location in England, Scotland, Greece, Poland, Norway and Australia. She is the producer of annual Cork events the Cork Martial Arts Promotions (CMAP) awards ceremony, and McCarthy’s Community Talent Competition. Further positions held are production manager at promotional film production company VisitorFlix International, and Creative Producer with InFlightflix International, the Inflight destination video guide. She also volunteers as Cork South West co-ordinator with the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA.) Yvonne has often produced work for The Firkin Crane stage, and is honoured to be Chairperson of the board at such a prestigious and well-loved theatre. www.rsvpireland.net
Dan Boyle is a former member of Dáil Éireann, Seanad Éireann, and is currently a Cork City councillor. He is active in many arts organisations in the Cork area. In addition to being on the board at Firkin Crane, he is currently chair and board member of Wandesford Artists Studios and Galleries, a board member (and former chair) of Cork Art Society/Lavit gallery and a board member of the Munster Literature Centre. He is a former chair of the board of Corcadorca Theatre Company and a former board member of the Glucksmann Gallery UCC, Triskel Arts Centre and Crawford Art Gallery.
Cllr Kieran McCarthy has actively promoted Cork’s heritage with its various communities and people for over twenty years. He has led and continues to lead successful heritage initiatives through his community talks, City and County school heritage programmes, walking tours, newspaper articles, books and his work through his heritage consultancy business. For the past 16 years, Kieran has written a local heritage column in the Cork Independent on the history, geography and its intersection of modern day life in communities in Cork City and County. He holds a PhD in Cultural Geography from University College Cork and has interests in ideas of landscape, collective memory, narrative and identity structures. Kieran is the author of seventeen books on Cork and its region. In June 2009 and May 2014, Kieran was elected as a local government councillor (Independent) to Cork City Council. He is also a member of the EU’s Committee of the Regions. More on Kieran’s work can be seen at www.corkheritage.ie and www.kieranmccarthy.ie
Expert Advisory Panel
Jools Gilson
Catherine Foley
Marguerite Donlon