Appointment of Cultural Officers in London and New York under Global Ireland 2025
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, T.D., today announced the appointment of two specialist Cultural Officers, one in London and one in New York, under the Government’s Global Ireland 2025 strategy.
These appointments are a key action to widen and deepen Ireland’s global cultural presence and engagement in these priority territories. This new strategic capability is being delivered in a close partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and will serve the wider needs of Government globally.
The core mandate of these two new positions is to enhance the promotion of Irish arts and culture in the US and Britain, working to achieve the strategic objectives of Culture Ireland in the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Minister Martin said:
"These appointments will play a key part in enhancing cultural promotion, collaboration and exchange, and strengthening cultural engagement with our diaspora. They will provide a hugely valuable new resource for Irish artists, arts organisations and cultural institutions in supporting their international ambitions."
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney, T.D, said:
"This new partnership initiative between our two Departments will help enrich our key bilateral relationships with Britain and the United States, and increase Ireland’s visibility, reach and reputation on the global stage."
The positions, which were advertised nationally and internationally earlier this year and attracted extensive interest, are being filled by two arts professionals with extensive high-level experience in promoting Irish culture globally.
The Cultural Officer in New York, Nik Quaife, has worked with many of Ireland’s leading artists and arts organisations since 1999, including through his own arts PR company. Quaife has also worked for ten years with the Irish Arts Center NYC in various roles in marketing, PR and fundraising.
Kelly O’Connor, the Cultural Officer for Great Britain based in London, is the founder of Irish Film London, where she has served as Programme Director for the last decade, and a member of the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Community Advisory Board.
Four other priority locations for the appointment of Cultural Officers were specified in Global Ireland 2025 - Beijing, Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo - with the possibility of additional locations in the lifetime of the strategy. The timing for these recruitments is under ongoing consideration by both Departments, subject to resources and requirements in those locations.
Nik Quaife has been working with Irish arts and culture since 1999 when he joined the Broadway production of Riverdance as stage manager. Since then, and with his own Arts PR company, Nik has worked with many of Ireland’s leading artists and arts organisations including projects like the re-opening of the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, the opening of the new Wexford Opera House, Dublin Writers Festival, Dublin Fringe Festival, Landmark Productions, Druid Theatre and Irish National Opera. Most recently Nik was part of the core team delivering the RAISE philanthropy programme for the Arts Council.
Nik has also worked with Culture Ireland on various projects since 2005 including managing Press and Communications for Imagine Ireland, Culture Ireland’s year of Irish arts in America and GB18, a year of Irish arts in Britain.
In New York Nik has worked for ten years with Irish Arts Center in various roles in Marketing, PR and Fundraising.
Founder and Programme Director of Irish Film London for the last 10 years, O’Connor is also a member of the Mayor of London’s St. Patrick’s Community Advisory Board. Former roles include Digital Marketing Manager at The Irish World Newspaper and General Manager at the Irish Cultural Centre in London. She has been a short films judge at the Galway Film Fleadh, a guest speaker at the London Film School, is a Hibernian Hero Award nominee and has a First Class Honours degree in Fine Art Video and Sound.
ENDS