ABOUT THE BOARD
Board Members
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. She has had the pleasure of producing live performances, radio podcasts, and art films, with international creatives, and on location in England, Scotland, Greece, Poland, Norway and Australia. Prominent Cork heritage locations have also 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. Though her heart lies with the artistic direction of the performer on screen or stage, she is also a film producer and casting director, with award winners like short film 3 Friends, an adaptation of the work of Colm Tobín, and art film The Other Woman Zizi’s dream, among her music video, experimental film, and documentary film projects. 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 a member 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 Cork City Council. He is a Community Development Worker and is active in many arts organisations and events in the Cork area. In addition to chairing the board at Firkin Crane, he is currently chair of the board of Corcadorca Theatre Company, as well as a board member (and former chair) of Cork Art Society/Lavit gallery. He is also formerly the chair and board member of Wandesford Quay Artists Studios and Gallery and a former board member of the Glucksmann Gallery, Triskel Arts Centre and Crawford Art Gallery.
Patricia Crosbie, a native of Cork, was a member of Irish National Ballet (Cork) for 6 years and was a principle ballerina with London Ballet Theatre (London) and Vienna Festival Ballet (London). She toured worldwide with the renowned rock band, The Kinks, choreographing and performing in their concerts. Patricia is now Ballet Mistress with Cork City Ballet (Firkin Crane, Cork) for whom she has choreographed many ballets, including her critically acclaimed full-length dance interpretation of The Playboy of the Western World. She has conducted workshops and Master classes for Irish National Youth Ballet, Crux Dance Company, Siamsa Tire, Cork School of Dance and for Dance Ireland, which included ‘Summer Intros’ in 2012.
Patricia taught on the Diploma in Dance Course at Cork’s College of Further Education (CSN) for 12 years and teaches open ballet classes for Cork City Ballet at Firkin Crane. She is now ballet tutor on the MA and BA courses at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance Limerick University. Patricia contributed to Dr. Ruth Fleischmann’s book Joan Denise Moriarty: Ireland’s First Lady of Dance, and spoke at its launch in UL. Patricia was awarded her MA in Dance from UL in 2012 and has been appointed Associate Artist with Dance Ireland (Dublin) for 2015/2016. She has been a Director of the Board at Firkin Crane since 2012
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.
Trustee Elect
Luke Murphy
Anne Dempsey
Expert Advisory Panel
Jools Gilson
Catherine Foley
Lisa McLoughlin
Marguerite Donlon
Organisational Restructuring Sub-committee
Yvonne Coughlan (Chair)
Cllr Kieran McCarthy
Conall O’Riain
In attendance: Paul McCarthy (CEO)
Artistic Programming Sub-committee
Yvonne Coughlan (Chair)
Pat Crosbie
From Expert Advisory Panel:
Catherine Foley
Jools Gilson
Marguerite Donlon
Lisa McLoughlin