Show Menu

August Craft Month 2024
For Makers
Craft Directory
What’s On
Latest News
- Maker News
SHOP
About Craft NI
Exhibitions
Get In Touch
Donate

⇣

August Craft Month 2024
- Apply here
- August Craft Month Exhibition 2024
For Makers
Craft Directory
What’s On
SHOP
Exhibitions
Donate

Home
About Craft NI
Contact us
|
Log In
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Linkedin

Show Menu

Board

Photo: two cane handled tea pots with Shino glaze, Porcelain slip and incised decoration. Maker: Rory Shearer. Photo credit: Declan Shearer

Board Members

Kim Mawhinney

Board Member (CHAIR)

Appointed Head of Art in 2009 at the National Museums, Northern Ireland, Kim was Curator of Applied Art at the Ulster Museum for 15 years with responsibility for the glass, ceramic and furniture collections.

As a member of the Project Board for the redevelopment of the Ulster Museum, Kim currently sits on the main Board for the Art and Architecture Ireland, a cross-border major research publication. Throughout her career she has curated, juried and selected exhibitions, lectured and written about the history and development of museums, accessibility of art collections, glass and ceramics, both nationally and internationally.

Rachel Fitzpatrick

Board Member

After graduating from the University of Ulster’s School of Art and Design, as an Artist and Designer, Rachel has travelled the world producing work for an international client base from Belfast to New York. Creating one-off installations and limited-edition pieces for corporate/ private interiors and special events; such as installations for Peugeot’s Flagship showrooms in Paris & Berlin, Rachel has also produced pieces for New York’s luxury 5th Avenue Store, Bergdorf Goodman. Whilst a career highlight for Rachel was an invitation to create huge lighting sculpture for The Hollywood Reporter’s inaugural show house in Century City, Los Angeles. Closer to home Rachel has worked with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland (DDCOI) to create lighting sculptures SHOWCASE Ireland Design event in Dublin.

Patricia McNeill

Board Member

Joining the Craft NI Board in 2010, Julie currently works in the Higher Education Sector supporting the Registrar and Chief Operating Officer of Queen’s University Belfast. Previously, for 14 years, Julie was a Business Improvement Project Manager in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Operational Effectiveness Team delivering successful business consulting projects in process and change across public and private sectors.

James Toland

Board Member

As an experienced Director, James has a broad spectrum of experience within Business Development and Operations, from Finance and HR, through to Sales, Marketing & Communications.

In his spare time, James is a Business Mentor to various organisations and start-ups including Young Enterprise Year Groups. He is a previous member of the NI Committee of the Institute of Directors and a previous Chairperson of the Education and Skills Committee of the Institute of Directors in NI. Now as Chair of Craft NI, one of James’ key objectives is to raise awareness of the high quality of craft in Northern Ireland and to develop craft retail here even further.

Dr Christopher McHugh

Board Member

Chris McHugh has been Lecturer in Ceramics at Belfast School of Art at Ulster University since 2017. As well as teaching, his research interests focus on three inter-related areas: (a) artistic approaches to archives and museum collections with an emphasis on community engagement and participation; (b) an exploration of the relationship between artistic and archaeological research methodologies; and, (c) an interest in the role clay, ceramics and grassroots making can play in encouraging wellbeing.

Olivia Stewart

Board Member

Olivia is responsible for internal and external communications from NI Chamber of Commerce, maintaining the organisation’s strong local and national media profile and delivering the marketing strategy. She holds an Honours Degree in Law with Politics from Queen’s University Belfast, as well as a Master’s Degree in Business Studies from Ulster University. Prior to joining the Communications & Policy team, Olivia was an Account Manager in one of Northern Ireland’s foremost communications agencies.

Patricia Flanagan

Board Member

With over 25 years’ experience working within the enterprise and education sectors, Patricia has spent 14 years within the Craft Sector in NI. Currently self-employed as a specialist facilitator of design thinking/ creative problem solving, Patricia delivers a range of programmes to students, business communities, social entrepreneurs and the third sector. Patricia also pioneered the integration of creative problem-solving projects for social good in the curriculum within Belfast Metropolitan College and was Project Manager for the new Belfast Metropolitan College campus, referred to as e3.

Over the years, Patricia has forged strong working relationships across Ireland and abroad, with key economic development agencies, with enterprise partners, political representatives, community organisations, funders, government departments and the business community in Northern Ireland.

Rory Shearer

Board Member

Rory Shearer is an established Artist/Designer/Maker with his own studio in County Antrim, producing wheel-based vessel forms in Porcelain and Reduced Stoneware. He was Specialist Lecturer in Ceramics at Belfast Metropolitan College, having studied Ceramics at the Ulster College of Art and Design. With extensive experience in and of the Craft, Applied Art and Design Sector in Northern Ireland, Rory was also a founder member and first secretary of The Guild of Designer Craftsmen (NI) and Crafts Development Officer with Craftworks. Rory is also the Chair of Craft NI’s Craft Advisory Panel.

Subscribe to Craft NI Newsletters

Click Here

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

* indicates required

CRAFT NI

Craft NI Gallery Newsletter - news from our Belfast retail and exhibition space
Craft NI Sector Newsletter - craft events and news from across Northern Ireland
Craft NI Makers and Industry Newsletter (Plan C)

Marketing Permissions

CRAFT NI will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:

You can update your preferences or unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at info@craftni.org. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit http://www.craftni.org/privacy-policy. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here.

CRAFT NI

115 - 119 Royal Avenue
Belfast, BT1 1FF

Company Number:
Craft Northern Ireland NI642349

Tel: 028 9032 9342

Email: info@craftni.org
Website: www.craftni.org

Charity Number: Craft NI 106410