Friday, December 4th 2020
9pm Ireland / 4pm NYC
presented with The Irish Arts Centre NYC
The Hub in Hell’s Kitchen: Irish Arts Center in New York City
with Aidan Connolly & Jim Culleton
“Arguably the most important Irish cultural centre in the United States”
The Irish Times
The new and deeply impressive Irish Arts Center building opens in 2021, in the full face of the coronavirus pandemic, and all the changes it has wrought on cultural, artistic and community life. This new building is the work of a quiet, relentless and talented team within the Center, committed to welcoming and elevating Irish artistic practice and presence within New York City, both as art for art’s sake, and as a most important expression of Irishness within a city shaped by Irishness.
Founded in 1972, the Irish Arts Center is an arts and cultural center dedicated to projecting a dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America for the 21st century, building community with artists and audiences of all backgrounds, forging and strengthening cross-cultural partnerships, and preserving the evolving stories and traditions of Irish culture for generations to come. Their programming is multi-disciplinary, and centered around three core areas: performance—including live music, dance, theatre, film, literature, and the humanities; visual arts—including presentations and cultural exhibitions that tell the evolving Irish story; and education—with dozens of classes per week in Irish language, history, music, and dance.
I.NY hosts a conversation with Aidan Connolly, Executive Director of the Irish Arts Center, about the direction, ambition and importance of the Center as it moves into its new physical, expansive, appropriate space, bringing Irish artists, & their relationship with this remarkable city, along with it.
Aidan Connolly
Aidan Connolly has led the transformation of Irish Arts Center into one of New York’s most dynamic multidisciplinary cultural institutions, expanding programming and achieving average annual growth of 15% since 2007, while overseeing the development and execution of a $60 million capital project. Prior to his current position, Aidan spent a decade working in finance, communications and leadership roles in government and campaigns in New York and nationally. He began his career as a theatre and concert artist. Aidan is a recipient of the John M. Bendheim Fellowship from the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, and has served as a guest lecturer for the Master’s programs in Arts Administration at Columbia University. He holds a B.A. in English and Theatre from Providence College, and an M.B.A. in Strategic Management from Wharton.
Jim Culleton
Jim Culleton is the artistic director of Fishamble: The New Play
Company, for which he has directed productions on tour throughout
Ireland, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. His
productions for Fishamble have won many Irish and international awards, including Olivier, The Stage, Scotsman Fringe First, and Irish Times Best Director awards.
Jim has also directed for Audible, The Abbey, Gaiety, Belgrade, 7:84
Scotland, Project, RTÉ, Soho Theatre, Vessel and APA (Australia), TNL (Canada), Solas Nua and Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Odyssey (LA), Irish Arts Center, Origin and 59E59 (New York), as well as for Trafalgar Theatre Productions on the West End, and Irish Arts Center/Symphony Space on Broadway.
I.NY Project Partners
