I have to say, as I type this, I am deeply uncomfortable with the title of the post - but there is an explanation underpinning it! Last week, I received the "StartUp Hero" award from the StartUp Awards - in recognition of my work on female entrepreneurship, gender equality and diversity. As a firm believer in the role we all play in making change happen, this was a really nice honour but also one I hadn't quite expected, which made it all the more special. Having been presented with the beautiful trophy (inset), I had several interesting conversations with other attendees and indeed, my two friends, Ciara and Linda, who'd joined me on the night. In the midst of the mirth and chatter, ther
In the wake of the recent cabinet announcements, and more specifically, the creation of a department for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht - it's fair to say that a sense of ennui, or more accurately, abject dismay, has enveloped the arts community. Seeing the narrative illuminate Twitter and other social media platforms since Friday simply highlights the palpable frustration felt by so many arts and creative sector professionals whose livelihood is more-or-less being demoted by the continual erosion of arts funding and policy since austerity measures began. Ireland currently boasts a place at the bottom of the European League for Government Investment in Culture an
