Tara

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Organisation: 

Graduate School of Creative Arts and Media (GradCAM)

Position in Organisation: 

PHD Research Scholar and Freelance Arts and Cultural Consultant

Interests: 

Culture and the Arts, Creative Industries

Biography: 

Tara Byrne is an arts consultant and researcher, based in Dublin. She is currently pursing a PHD in ‘Creative Cities’ theories relating to the economic and cultural growth and transformation of cities and is the Irish representative of the EU working group on ‘Maximising the Potential of the Cultural and Creative Industries’ (Priority 4, Culture Plan 2008 – 2010) where she is currently contributing to the green paper on supports for the sector. Most recently she was Director of the National Sculpture Factory (2002-08), where, she developed a new range of artists’ services, networks and international opportunities, pioneering targeted business supports for artists, as well as commissioning national and international projects, conferences and publications. As Artists’ Support Executive in the Arts Council (1996 – 2002) she was responsible for setting up new interdisciplinary support systems for artists, as well as developing artists’ support policies and contributing to national and EU culture think-tanks, leading to policies as they related to the individual artist (in particular Ireland’s contribution to the Copyright and Related Rights Act). She has worked with and commissioned artists and curators, including Inigo Manglano Ovalle, Bik van der Pol, Annie Fletcher, Charles Esche, Sarah Browne, Maria Eichhorn, Shane Cullen, Andrew Stones, Jordan Baseman, Sarah Pierce, Art/not art, Surasi Kusolwong, Catherine David, Sarat Maharaj and Phil Collins. Previously she has worked in Alternative Entertainments, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the National College of Art and Design. She completed a BA in History of Art and English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin in 1991 and a Higher Diploma in Arts Administration from UCD in 1993. She is a former board member of CIRCA, the Visual Arts Journal in Ireland and a member of IKT Curators’ Forum. Publications des/IRE; designing houses for contemporary Ireland, The National Sculpture Factory/Gandon Editions, 2008. Cork Caucus; on art possibility and democracy, The National Sculpture Factory/ Revolver, 2006. Croon; an interdisciplinary project by Daphne Wright and Johnny Hanrahan, 2005, Meridian/ National Sculpture Factory. The Creative Imperative; a report on support for the individual artist in Ireland, Anthony Everitt in association with Tara Byrne, The Arts Council of Ireland, 2000. Artists’ Supports Policy Framework; reforms and changes to Arts Council awards, 2001

History

Member for

2 years 1 week