Fiona leads the thrive team and is responsible for the overall strategy, direction, and culture of the organisation. With over 20 years of experience in the cultural sector, Fiona understands the needs of organisations at both a policy and operational level. She makes sure that thrive delivers on those needs and is passionate about driving audience-led change.
As the Head of Client Development at thrive, Maurane is the line manager and project lead for the Client Delivery team. Whether it is audience research, project evaluation or communication, Maurane is thrive’s own Swiss army knife, coming with a versatile set of skills to answer our clients’ needs. Previous to thrive, she worked in a music PR agency and has been using her skills in various music festivals and events around the ROI and NI. She holds a BA in Communications and a MA in Arts Management & Cultural Policy.
With a background in journalism and over a decade working in the arts in the North West of Ireland, Áine has a wide range of experience in communications, audience development, community storytelling, marketing and PR. Her work in theatre and multi-disciplinary arts in Derry-Londonderry has focused on participant and audience research and voice, giving insights into unique cultural experiences, and showing the value of arts in everyday lives. Her involvement with music outreach organisations, choirs and literary publications has also fostered a lifelong passion for working collaboratively with creative thinkers, artists and practitioners in art, peacebuilding, education, and advocacy.
Laura uses research to help cultural organisations across Northern Ireland to better understand who their audiences are and how they can strengthen their relationship with them. She has over 12 years of quantitative research experience, crafting surveys and analysing data on people’s motivations, behaviours and attitudes. A data nerd at heart, Laura can take a large dataset and uncover the story behind the data, giving organisations useful insights and practical recommendations. Laura holds an MBA from Queen’s University Belfast and lectures on the QUB MA Arts Management course.
*Note: I will be on maternity leave from 21st October 2024 until July 2025.*
Sarah has over ten years’ experience in television, starting as a TV runner and working her way up to Production Coordinator. She has worked in various genres of programs including drama, light entertainment, and documentaries. She has worked across Ireland, the United Kingdom and North America. Her areas of interest are research and production management. She has also worked in other areas of the arts sector and has been involved with a number of respected museums and exhibitions in Ireland. She believes that teamwork gets the best result and particularly enjoys exploring and researching potential stories as well.
Eve has 10 years’ experience in the music industry as a professional musician across the island of Ireland, which gives her a keen insight into how the arts and culture sector works. She has experience in an array of different sectors, from communications and social media management to events management, workshop facilitation, and activism. She holds a joint honours BA in French and Spanish from Trinity College Dublin.
Eve previously worked as the box office systems specialist at thrive, where she developed skills working with ticketing systems and audience research. In her new role as Sector Programme Coordinator, Eve utilises these skills to provide any and all necessary support on sector related projects.
Susan has a wealth of operational business experience gained across 20 years in the Construction and Manufacturing sectors in a variety of roles including sales, digital-marketing and operations. She will be supporting the Thrive team to ensure that they continue to deliver operational excellence within the Arts and Heritage sector. Although not previously working in the arts sector Susan has always been strong advocate of the benefit of the arts for both individual wellbeing and in particular for business innovation. When not working at Thrive she is a practicing artist/printmaker. Susan holds a degree Business Studies, and a PGC in Business Analysis and Consulting from Ulster University.
Suzanne has a wealth of business experience gained from over 30 years experience in the construction industry. During her time as a practising Architectural Director Suzanne has gained a sound knowledge of running a business with the day to day responsibility of the Practises finances. While not working Suzanne is an avid rower on the River Lagan and an amateur ceramics enthusiast. Suzanne holds a BSc(Arch) and BArch(hons) from Dundee University.
Candice joins Thrive following nearly a decade spent working in the local music industry, with varied communications experience across festivals, management, label services and PR. A confident storyteller, her expertise lies in crafting compelling narratives, and she believes in the power of the written word to enact positive change. She also has a passion for proofreading and editing, finding satisfaction in crafting perfect copy.
In her spare time, Candice writes songs and runs half marathons. Candice holds a BA in English and a MSc in Marketing from Queen’s University, Belfast.
Úna has worked within the Arts sector for 17 years, starting as a front of house volunteer and working her way up to Events Manager, giving her a unique insight into how the arts and culture sector works. She has hosted events from small meetings and workshops to large scale conferences and official government visits. Úna has also been involved in the management and promotion of concerts, workshops, and language classes throughout Belfast. From a young age Úna has enjoyed working with the local community and is passionate about ensuring that the arts are available and relevant to all. Úna is a fluent Irish speaker and holds a BA in Irish and Celtic Studies from Queen’s University Belfast.