KAREN O’NEILL is to join Manchester's HOME as Executive Director and Deputy CEO in November this year.
An arts leader with a background in the theatre sector, O'Neill has led several arts and cultural organisations in both the commercial and subsidised sectors.
Since 2019 she has been CEO of the Dukes, a producing theatre and independent cinema in Lancashire. During her tenure there, she remodelled the organisation to create a strong financial base, developed partnerships locally and nationally and worked to increase engagement with Lancaster communities.
She is also Chair of Arts Catalyst, a trustee of Hope Mill Theatre and Theatre Porto, and a Clore Leadership Fellow.
HOME's CEO and Artistic Director DAVE MOUTREY says he is “delighted” to welcome O’Neill.
“She joins us at a very exciting time, as we further develop our current and future strategic priorities and continue to work closely with artists and communities in the region and create great cultural experiences for our audiences.”
For her part, O'Neill said: “HOME has long been an organisation I have admired for its creative work and how it has engaged both artists and communities across film, theatre and the visual arts.
“It is one the North’s most electrifying cultural organisations and I can’t wait to be part of it.”