by Rose Rushe
AS promised on January 7 by city of culture board chairman Pat Cox, the vacant position to head up City of Culture 2014’s programme is advertised online at limerickcityofculture.ie
Two months on, the contentious job is newly titled as director. Applicants are invited between today March 7 and Tuesday March 18 to liaise with the Human Resources department of UL.
Other than the ‘givens’ of experience of the required environment, specifications are direct for “an understanding and experience of corporate governance and programme management”.
As suggested by interim CEO Mike Fitzpatrick, now secretary to the board, the position will report directly to the board and waive the requirement for a chief executive to the €6million project.
There’s a nod to future requirement in delivering more than ephemera, acrobats and headlines. The scout is on for someone who can see through “the year’s objectives and establish[ing] a legacy for Limerick as a key cultural location”.
Pay grade? Commensurate.
Meanwhile, CentreStage director and former AIMS adjudicator Richie Ryan had called a follow-on arts open meeting to the momentous board/community meeting held at Clarion Hotel on January 3. CEO Patricia Ryan resigned her post two days later.
Mr Ryan (no relation), disgruntled with the perceived lack of progress since, had issued an open call via Limerick Post news pages and by facebook for a March 6 gathering of minds.
He subsequently issued a press statement.
Declaring that the consensus at Clarion Hotel, venue also for City of Culture board meetings, was that “nothing had changed”, the outcome is: “a cohesive all inclusive forward thinking advocacy group [was] unanimously established from this Public meeting, ‘Limerick Arts Collective Forum’ (LACF)”.
