Hot on the heels of Willie White’s recent departure as Artistic Director of Dublin Theatre Festival, the board of the organisation have raised the curtain on his successor, with news that Dubliner Róise Goan is to be the festival’s incoming Artistic Director and Chief Executive.
The Dubliner will take up the role in February 2025. Her appointment follows Willie White’s decision to step down from the role once he had completed DTF 2024.
Seasoned readers of Totally Dublin may recall that Róise has worked variously over the years as an artist, producer, programmer and dramaturg in the performing arts. She studied Drama and Theatre at Trinity College Dublin and graduated in 2004. From 2008-2013 she was director of the Dublin Fringe Festival, where she founded Fringe Lab. After that, she founded The Local Group, making occasional contemporary performance projects in off-the-grid locations in Ireland, alongside freelance work as a programmer and consultant.
In addition to her work in the performing arts, she has written for television, most notably for the TG4 series Aifric. She currently works as the artistic coordinator at VIERNULVIER in Ghent, Belgium, and prior to that she worked previously as artistic director and co-CEO of Artsadmin in London, UK.
Speaking about the new appointment, Una Carmody, Chair of the board of Dublin Theatre Festival said, “The Board of Dublin Theatre Festival could not be more pleased to have Róise Goan return to Dublin and bring her particular mix of intelligent programming and great fun to the festival.
We are very excited to see how she will increase the reach and impact of our festival, with her depth of knowledge of the city as well as her breadth of international experience, and lead the team to achieve even more. The current discussions around Dublin and its character and nature are an opportune time to introduce her unique voice to the discourse.”
Expressing her delight about the new role, Róise Goan said, “It is a great honour for me to return to my hometown of Dublin to lead Dublin Theatre Festival, a festival that has shaped and inspired my love of theatre and my passion for the transformative impact festivals can have on audiences and the very fabric of a city.
I look forward to picking up the baton from Willie White and working with a fantastic team and board at DTF in the new year, and starting to work with excellent artists from all over the world on creating the very best festival we can for the people of Dublin.”
Everyone at Totally Dublin wishes Róise well as she gets ready to take up the mantle in the Spring.
Words: Martina Murray
