Julie Kelleher

Julie is Artistic Director/CEO at Mermaid County Wicklow Arts Centre where she curates a wide-ranging multidisciplinary programme for the venue and at locations offsite.

Her background is in performance, directing and producing for theatre. She holds a BA in Drama and Theatre Studies and English, and an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies from UCC. Julie joined the board of Theatre Forum Ireland in September 2016 and the board of Graffiti Theatre Company in September 2017 and is currently the Chair of both boards. She also sits on the Irish Playography Panel at Irish Theatre Institute.

She was Artistic Director of The Everyman, Cork from 2014 to 2020. She has worked as an actor, director & producer with numerous Irish arts organisations and companies, including Painted Bird, Conflicted, BrokenCrow, Kinsale Arts Week, Cork Midsummer Festival, Hammergrin, Corcadorca, Meridian, Dublin Theatre Festival, Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre, The Performance Corporation, Gare St. Lazare, Once Off Productions, Landmark Productions, and Siren Productions.

Directing credits include The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh (2018), Bluetooth by Rachel Thornton (2018), Autumn Royal by Kevin Barry (2018 remount, associate director), Dancing At Lughnasa by Brian Friel (2017), The Factory Girls by Frank McGuinness (2016), The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart by David Greig (2015), Lovers by Brian Friel (2015), all for The Everyman.

Producing credits include the world premiere of Mick Flannery’s Evening Train musical (2019), the Landmark/Everyman co-produced world premiere of Asking for It by Louise O’Neill (2018), the world premiere of Autumn Royal by Kevin Barry (2017) and the Irish premiere of Futureproof by Lynda Radley (2017), all for The Everyman.

Julie swims regularly in Wicklow and Cork and wherever she finds herself.