MEET OUR NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CEO

With a career spanning over 30 years, Mikey is an international performing artist, theatre maker, producer, and festival director whose work has taken him to some of the world’s most dynamic arts festivals across the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. His journey has included senior leadership roles with Winchester Hat Fair, Theatre Bristol, Norfolk & Norwich Arts Festival, and Freedom Festival Hull, where he served as CEO and Artistic Director during the UK City of Culture years.

In Hull, Mikey built a bold, year-round arts organisation, leading Freedom Festival into major European and global networks, developing ambitious international programmes, and forging creative partnerships across academia, science, and human rights. His work is widely recognised for championing participation, collaboration, and ensuring that voices less often heard are placed firmly at the centre of the festival experience. Notable projects include the acclaimed winter event The Awakening and the powerful year-long participatory project The Hull Vigil.

Most recently, Mikey was General Director of the world-renowned Oerol Festival in the Netherlands (2024–25), Europe’s largest site-specific theatre festival, set on the island of Terschelling.

Speaking about his new role, Mikey said:

“I am very excited to take on this role as the new Artistic Director & CEO and to continue the extraordinary story of Éigse Carlow Arts Festival, taking it into its 47th year and beyond. There have of course been so many dedicated individuals over its 40+ years and I thank them for all the hard work done to date. I cannot wait to get started with the talented and dedicated team here and all our local, national, and international funders and partners who year on year make the festival what it is.”

We’re thrilled to welcome Mikey to Carlow and look forward to sharing the next chapter of the festival with you. Stay tuned for news on our 2026 programme.