22/02/2011
Culture Company 2013 Limited has announced that it has appointed Shona McCarthy as its Chief Executive.
Ms McCarthy will be responsible for leading the planning and delivery of a host of events including the cultural programme, at the heart of City of Culture, between now and 2013. She is currently Director of the British Council in NI and has a strong track record of delivering arts and cultural projects within NI and the rest of the UK.
Welcoming the appointment, Culture Company Chairperson Martin Bradley said I am very pleased that Shona has agreed to accept this position. Her strategic vision combined with practical arts and cultural leadership and day-to-day management experience will be a great advantage to deliver a sustainable legacy from 2013”.
Speaking ahead of taking up the appointment, Shona McCarthy said she looked forward to being part of this unique opportunity for the city and Northern Ireland.
“I am delighted and honoured to take up this role and look forward to working in partnership with all agencies to deliver a world class cultural experience and programme and contribute towards a lasting legacy for the city and region”.
Shona has a very impressive CV having worked in a range of roles in the cultural and arts sector across Northern Ireland for over 20 years. In 2007 she was the NI recipient of a prestigious NESTA cultural leadership award. The premise of the award was to place people from science, technology and the arts sectors in the UK with outstanding leaders from around the world. Shona chose to be placed with Naveen Kishore at the Seagull Foundation for the Arts in Calcutta. She spent 6 months living and working in the cultural sector in India.
In 2002 she established her own company Rubyblue Consultancy, specialising in cultural collaborations from concept through strategic planning, project development and management, fundraising and advocacy, including managing a multi-million pound special funding initiative (Paul Hamlyn Foundation) for Northern Ireland from 2003-2007. Prior to this Shona was Chief Executive of Imagine Belfast 2008 and delivered a city-wide consultation, and the final Belfast bid. Belfast’s campaign to be European Capital of Culture 2008 was a city-wide dialogue and provocation that culminated in the formation of a cultural strategy for the city. Shona led a major consultation exercise involving Belfast’s multiple stakeholders, politicians, artists, community and church leaders, and the city’s citizens.
Shona also spent six years as Chief Executive of Cinemagic, Northern Ireland’s International Film Festival for young people; was the Director of the Foyle Film Festival 1996-99; and Head of Exhibition at the Northern Ireland Film Council. During her many years as a director of film festivals she was invited to festivals across the world as a speaker, jury member, panelist, workshop leader and chair of seminars and public debates on many film related subjects.
It is expected that Shona will take up the position in mid April 2011.
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