Dublin Theatre Festival is governed by a voluntary board of Directors, see list of Directors above and Directors' biographies below. Dublin Theatre Festival is committed to good governance and has embarked upon the journey of compliance with the Governance Code. The organisation complies with all regulatory requirements and operates in accordance with its governing document, available here.
Financial Controls
Dublin Theatre Festival keeps detailed books and records of accounts and maintains strict financial controls. The organisation is transparent in its audited financial statements, with most recent statements (2020) available below. The company is a charity and financial statements comply both with the requirements of the Companies Act 2014, FRS102 and also the Statements of Recommended Practice (SORP) as issued by the charity commissioners for England and Wales in March 2005.
Legal Status
Dublin Theatre Festival Company Limited by Guarantee, trading as Dublin Theatre Festival, is a company registered in Ireland, which was incorporated under the Companies Act 1963 to 2013 in July 1959. The objects of the company are charitable in nature, it has established charitable status (CHY 6331) and is registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority (20011291).
Fundraising
Dublin Theatre Festival is open, honest and fully transparent in its fundraising activities, the proceeds of which all go towards the primary activity of organising and promoting an annual festival of theatre events. Dublin Theatre Festival is currently working to confirm compliance with the Statement of Guiding Principles of Good Fundraising developed by Irish Charities Tax Research Ltd (ICTR).
Gender Equality Policy
Supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, ten leading theatre organisations came together to initiate and formalise a position on Gender Equality Policy. Over two years the companies engaged in a series of discussions that resulted in each organisation formulating its own gender policy statement with reference to the common desire for reform and progress. Dublin Theatre Festival is proud to be a part of this joint promise to address and rebalance the gender equality deficiencies within Irish theatre. You can read our Gender Equality Policy here.
Anti-Racism Statement
Dublin Theatre Festival presents productions from Ireland and around the world on its stages.
We wholeheartedly affirm that there is more that we can do to include and share the stories of contemporary Dublin and Ireland. We want everyone who calls the city home to feel they are represented and welcome to our festival whether on-stage, on-screen or in a theatre audience.
We will not be passive if we see racist or offensive language on our social channels. We will not be passive if we see racist or offensive language that targets anyone involved in Irish theatre. We will actively support our friends and colleagues in theatre should they be subjected to any form of harassment. We will call out any behaviour that violates our code of ethics.
Dublin Theatre Festival staff have undertaken anti-racism and implicit-bias training with Dr. Ebun Joseph, Director of the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies. This is only the start. As individuals and as an organisation we will continue to learn, to educate, to advocate and to do better.
Child Safeguarding
In compliance with the Children First Act 2015 Dublin Theatre Festival Child Safeguarding Statement can be downloaded below.
Board of Directors
David Nolan (appointed 2015, elected Chairperson July 2021)
David was educated by the Jesuits at Gonzaga College, Dublin. In 1981 he completed a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from UCD and then attended TCD, where he completed a Diploma in Anglo Irish Literature. He has the near unique distinction of having been an active member of both Dramsoc and Players. He was called to The Bar in 1985 and took Silk in 2003. He was elected to The Bar Council in 2005 and has served as Chairman of many committees and was elected Vice Chairman in 2009 and Honorary Secretary in 2010. He was elected Chairman of The Bar Council of Ireland in 2012/2013. In November 2013 he was called to The Bar of England and Wales and in December 2013 was elected a Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Kings Inns. He is married, has three children and lives in Dublin.
Aisling Blake (appointed 2019)
Aisling Blake is a Sales Director in Facebook. From 2009 to 2018 she worked at Core; Ireland’s largest Marketing Communications Group, as Managing Director of Radical, Core’s digital agency before becoming Chief Digital Officer of Core in January 2018. A graduate of UCD, Aisling also holds an MSc in Marketing Practice from the UCD Michael Smurfit Business School and an Advanced Diploma in Management Practice from the University of Ulster. Aisling has more than 15 years’ experience in digital marketing and communications and has also served as Chair of the Online Marketing Group of the Irish Internet Association. She is also a Board member of the Irish Heart Foundation.
Úna Carmody (appointed 2022)
Úna Carmody is a consultant in the arts and culture, with a special interest in audience development and strategic planning. Recent clients have included The Arts Council, for whom she researched and wrote the COVID response document "Survive Adapt Renew"; Central Bank of Ireland, National Museum of Ireland and the RDS. Prior to becoming a consultant Úna worked in a variety of theatre marketing roles, including for the Abbey, Gaiety and Gate Theatres, and was Marketing Manager of the DTF in 1991. She has also been CEO of the Helix, and worked from 2001 - 2004 for the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon. She has also served on a number of arts boards and was Chair of Dublin Fringe Festival.
Catriona Crowe (appointed 2017)
Catriona Crowe is former Head of Special Projects at the National Archives of Ireland. She was Manager of the Census Online Project, which placed the Irish 1901 and 1911 censuses online free to access. She is Chairperson of the Irish Theatre Institute, which promotes and supports Irish theatre and has created an award-winning website of Irish theatre productions. She is currently a judge for the Irish Times Theatre Awards. She has worked with ANU Productions on many of its award-winning pieces. She contributes regularly to the broadcast and print media on cultural and historical matters. She presented the RTÉ documentary, Ireland before the Rising, which was shown in February 2016. She is a member of the Royal Irish Academy.
Bush Moukarzel (appointed 2022)
Bush Moukarzel is co-artistic director of Dead Centre. Bush has co-authored and co-directed all of the company’s productions, mostly recently The World is Everything That is the Case, at the Burgtheater, Vienna, Bählaams Fest at Ruhtriennale, Germany and an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s The Silence at Gothenburg State Theatre, Sweden. Other Dead Centre directing/writing credits include: LIPPY, Chekhov’s First Play, Hamnet, Beckett’s Room (co-production with the Gate Theatre, Dublin), and To Be A Machine (Version 1.0) – a co-production with Dublin Theatre Festival. Upcoming work includes an adaptation of Flights by Nobel-Prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk at Burgtheater, Vienna, and an operatic adaptation of Pasolini’s Teorema at Deutsche Oper Berlin in June 2023.
Pat Moylan (appointed 2016)
Pat Moylan is a Dublin-based Theatre Producer with a remarkable record of achievement over two decades nationally and internationally. Her work has received critical acclaim in Ireland and throughout the world including in London's West End and on Broadway. Awards for her productions include Oliver and two Tony nominations. She produced the multi-award winning short film The Breakfast and feature film Borstal Boy. As Artistic Director of Andrews Lane Theatre in Dublin for 18 years she created a vibrant arts venue; welcoming diverse audiences, successfully nurturing new writing and fostering the development of new talent in acting, directing and design. Pat was nominated for an Irish Times award for her contribution to theatre and was named Arts Person of the Year in her home county of Laois. She was appointed to the Arts Council in December 2008 where she served as Chair until December 2013.