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Niamh NicGhabhann

Niamh NicGhabhann

Niamh NicGhabhann, MA Festive Arts


The MA Festive Arts Programme at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance offers students the opportunity to develop skills in arts management, curating, production, performance and research with an emphasis on festivity and the role of festival in society. Bringing together artists, performers, curators, producers and researchers, the MA Festive Arts Programme provides a unique context for the acquisition and development of skills in this field. There is a strong emphasis on the development of practical skills and experience, with a central internship module, and a focus on working with practitioners and experts in the field.

Students on the MA Festive Arts programme complete a series of taught modules, designed to support the development of their research projects, and also work in small groups toward the realization of public projects. The internship, elective and final project options allow students to develop expertise in an individual area of research, curating and production, or performance.

The MA Festive Arts Programme is a one year, full-time, postgraduate programme. The programme offers a comprehensive grounding in the key skills around the creation and production of festivals and other related arts events. These include:

  • Arts management
  • Curating and commissioning
  • Management of funding structures and applications
  • Project management
  • Event development and production
  • Effective arts marketing and audience development
  • Community engagement and outreach

This MA programme will enable students to attain practical and theoretical perspectives around the role of festival and festivity in society. It will also provide students with valuable opportunities to work in the field of festival management, creation and production through the internship module. There is an emphasis on creative and cultural entrepreneurship, on developing sustainable enterprises, and on building links with key stakeholders such as civic authorities, private business, the tourism sector and funding bodies.

The MA Festive Arts Programme is coordinated by Dr. Niamh NicGhabhann, and is taught by a range of visiting lecturers and workshop coordinators, who bring a wealth of practical experience and industry knowledge to the programme.

This MA programme is unique in that it is designed to offer students exposure and access to excellent examples of professional practice and frames of reference in relation to a rigorous academic programme.

Appropriate performance and research studies will also be included in students’ studies. Elective Modules also facilitate access to other postgraduate programmes at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, such as contemporary dance, traditional dance, traditional music performance, classical strings and piano performance.