Christine Sisk has been appointed as the acting chief executive of Culture Ireland
Sisk has worked with Culture Ireland since its inception in 2005 and is currently director of grant programmes. She established the committee to manage the State art collection while at the Office of Public Works and has also chaired the Inter-agency Committee on the Per Cent for Art Scheme.
Culture Ireland is the national body for the promotion of Irish arts worldwide and supports opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present their work internationally. James Hickey, CEO of the Irish Film Board, is among their board members while actor Gabriel Byrne works with the organisation as Ireland’s cultural ambassador.
Previous to her involvement with Culture Ireland, Sisk co-ordinated the Culture Programme of Ireland's EU Presidency in 2004, and from 2002 to 2005 was the national delegate to the EC Culture Affairs Committee.
Making the announcement of her appointment, Culture Ireland chairman Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin said: “I am especially delighted at the appointment of a visionary and innovative Acting CEO in this important interim period.”
Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht added: “I welcome this appointment of the vastly experienced Ms Sisk. Christine has been a key part of the Culture Ireland success story in recent years and I'm looking forward to working closely with her and her team.”