Niamh O'Donnell

APPOINTED JANUARY 2021

Niamh has been Director of Irish Theatre Institute 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. Prior to her appointment to Irish Theatre Institute, Niamh O’Donnell was Director of Poetry Ireland, an all island resource organisation nurturing poets and developing poetry by building content, capacity, interest, understanding, participation and engagement. 

In 1990 Niamh worked in the Gallery of Photography, she moved in 1994 to re-establish Black Church Print Studio, an artist resource organisation, followed by a position as Artistic Programme Coordinator in ArtHouse Multimedia Centre in 1999. In 2001, Niamh worked as General Manager and Executive Producer in Project Arts Centre and then in 2014 took up the role of Artistic Director of Mermaid Arts Centre where she presented an ambitious programme of Irish and international visual arts, dance, theatre, music and art-house cinema.