Carolann is the coordinator for the Creative Places Tuam Pilot and Creative Places Network Service with Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts. She is responsible for programme delivery and network support within these strands of work. Carolann works on the ground in Tuam and engages directly with communities, artists and project stakeholders to successfully realise the programme’s aims to deliver ambitious, creative and meaningful opportunities for the people of Tuam to collaborate on socially engaged art projects that reflects what matters to them via a series of residencies, mentorships, professional development workshops and network development opportunities.
Carolann has worked as the arts, health and wellbeing specialist for Kildare County Council from 2013 – 2021. There, she progressed Kildare County Council’s specialist work in arts and health to support artists and both acute and community health care settings to create high quality arts practice in response to these contexts. She delivered this through funding opportunities, collaborative engagement with artists, ongoing professional development support, organisational mentorship and the development of local and national partnerships and collaborations.
Carolann holds a BA Fine Art from DIT and a Postgraduate HDip in Community, Arts, Education from NCAD.
James Ring is an automotive industry professional with 15 years of experience. He is the owner of an automotive dealer franchise, specializing in vehicle sales, aftersales, importation and distribution.
James holds degrees in Automotive Technology and Transport Operations & Technology, which support his expertise in the field. Additionally, he has obtained an APA qualification for financial products.
He also holds a Diploma in Business Finance and both a Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction. As a Chartered Director, James adheres to established corporate governance practices, employing strategic planning and effective leadership to drive organizational success. His commitment to developing robust governance frameworks ensures sustainable growth and compliance while fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability within his business.
David is an ACCA qualified accountant, qualifying in 2012. He studied business and marketing at ITT, while working in sales roles for both multinational and family run businesses. He then moved into a large multinational company to complete his accountancy exams and progressed on into the role of Chief Financial Officer.
David has spent over 10 years working in the wholesale and tech industries for companies from start-ups to global brands. He worked in various departments during this time, from Finance (Management Accounting) to Sales and Client Development.
From there he was involved in setting up a successful retail and wholesale business in the drinks and beverages industry and has recently completed a professional diploma in digital marketing. David is a co-founder of DB Performance, who offer business and financial strategy advice to small and medium sized businesses and this is where he now works full time.
Bee Sparks (she/her) is the newly appointed Festival Director of Dublin Fringe Festival as of October 2024. Bee first worked with Dublin Fringe Festival as Programming Assistant in 2016, returning as Artistic Projects Manager in 2019, and is thrilled to now lead the festival into its next chapter.
As a programmer and producer, Bee is passionate about supporting emerging artists to create bold, interdisciplinary, and future-focused work. Her practice is rooted in radical kindness, fostering accessible and non-hierarchical environments that amplify unheard voices and value both collective and individual expression.
Before returning to Dublin Fringe, Bee was Programme and Participation Manager at Brighton Dome & Festival, having previously held roles as Programming Coordinator there and at Gilded Balloon, where she worked closely with artists at Edinburgh Fringe. With an MA and BA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, Bee has worked across cultural organizations in Ireland, the UK, and the US, always striving to expand accessibility and elevate new voices.
Jeanine enjoys travelling and is always planning her next trip. Her guilty pleasure is reality TV, a passion she shares with many of our performers at Run of the Mill.
