Meet the Team
Meet the Team
Sophie Motley, Artistic Director
Sophie began her Project journey working in the bar. She has worked in arts leadership roles since 2017, most recently as Artistic Director of The Everyman, Cork where she led the team to support over 300 artists and present 90 productions in 2023. Sophie was previously Artistic Director/co-CEO of Pentabus Theatre (England’s national rural theatre company), Co-Artistic Director of WillFredd Theatre and Associate Director of Rough Magic.
As a director, Sophie’s work includes: Werther (Irish National Opera), Gatman!, The Summer I Robbed A Bank,(The Everyman), The Giggler Treatment (The Ark), Crossings, One Side Lies the Sea (Pentabus), Millions of Years (English National Opera) BEES!, Jockey, CARE, FOLLOW, FARM, (WillFredd Theatre), Tejas Verdes, Vincent River (Prime Cut) The Sleeping Queen (Wexford Festival Opera), Everything Between Us, Plaza Suite (Rough Magic).
As a dramaturg, Sophie has worked with numerous Irish and international artists across theatre, opera and multidisciplinary arts.
As Associate Director she has worked with Michel van der Aa/London Sinfonietta, ENO/Barbican/Opera de Lyon/Teatro Colon, Wide Open Opera/Landmark.
Sophie was Staff Director at English National Opera, Resident Assistant Director at the Abbey Theatre and Resident Stage Director for London Sinfonietta. Sophie learnt her trade as an emerging director by assisting directors such as Fiona Shaw, Deborah Warner, David Leveaux, Benedict Andrews, Yoshi Oida, Phelim McDermott, Peter Sellars and James MacDonald.
Orla Moloney, Executive Director
Previous roles include Head of Arts Participation with the Arts Council/ An Chomhairle Ealíon; Director of Droichead Arts Centre; Director of the Bealtaine Festival; and Regional Development Manager at Music Network. Orla has also worked as an independent arts consultant across theatre, music, arts education, festivals, local authority arts offices, and has extensive experience in arts research, policy development, and evaluation.
Orla currently serves on the Boards of Performing Arts Forum and Music Network, and previously served on the Boards of Dance Limerick, Create, and Barnstorm Theatre Company.
Sara Greavu
Sara Greavu, Curator of Visual Arts
She is the curator, with Project, of the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2024) with the artist Eimear Walshe. Previously she has worked at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Derry; VOID Arts Centre; and Outburst Arts, Belfast as well as working independently as a curator, writer and organiser.
Independent projects include Open the book at a different page, a research exhibition produced with artist Ciara Phillips and former members of the Derry Film and Video Workshop, which dealt with intertwined political and cultural initiatives in Derry in the 1980s. Originally commissioned for the 39th EVA International, an iteration of this show is currently in the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA).
Cathy Coughlan
Cathy Coughlan, Head of Project Potential
Cathy Coughlan is the Head of Project Potential at Project Arts Centre. Prior to this role she worked as an independent artist across visual arts, film and dance-theatre contexts to create hybrid works for gallery and theatre spaces, as well as devising site specific and community responsive projects Nationwide. Supported by The Arts Council Cathy trained as a professional dancer in the UK (1994-97) and continued her arts education with The National College of Art and Design (Fine Art 2005).
As a socially engaged artist she has delivered projects and performances in association with Kildare County Council, Visual Gallery Carlow, Tipperary Dance Platform, Tallaght Community Arts, RADE, Common Ground, Create, Focus Ireland, the Fatima Regeneration Project, Bealtainne Festival, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council, Dance Ireland, Civic Theatre and Coisceim Dance Theatre.
Kate O’ Brien
Kate O’ Brien, Head of Communications
Kate has worked in the Arts and PR Sector for over 10 years. She is a registered ballet teacher with The Royal Academy of Dance, and also holds a MSc in Public Relations and Strategic Communications from Dublin City University. She teaches in Ireland’s leading development organisation for dance ‘Dance Ireland’ and also at an inclusive school for children and young adults with additional needs ‘Free 2 Be Me Dance’.
She has worked in the PR industry for clients such as Liz Roche Company, Ballet Ireland, Other Voices, Westival, Tullamore Dew, Hendricks Gin, FULFIL Nutrition, Kopparberg and a variety of FMCG brands.
Conor Kelly
Conor Kelly, Technical Manager
Conor Kelly is a Dublin based Technician, Playwright, and Technical Manager of Project Arts Centre. Prior to working at Project he worked with the Abbey Theatre as a stage technician on each production from 2021-2023.
He worked in construction for the National Maternity Hospital over the course of the pandemic, building an operating theatre in Holles Street.
He has a MFa in Playwriting from the Lír Academy (2022) as well as BA in Drama Studies from Trinity College Dublin (2020)
Siobhan Shortt
Siobhan Shortt, Box Office Supervisor
Siobhan has been Box Office Supervisor at Project as well as a core member of the Project team for a number of years. She hales from Limerick City and is at the end of the phone or email to answer any of your ticket, performance or building queries!
Jakub Sobczak
Head of Production
Kate Mc Sweeney
Finance & Accounts Manager
Han Tiernan
House Manager
Annette Devoy
Administrator
Marie Hegarty
Centre Technician
Kate Finn
Centre Technician
Tobi Bello
Project Potential Assistant
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