About

« An Arts Centre is more than a building. It is a place of life and celebration where each day brings new opportunities to be inspired and connect »

What we do

Solstice is a home where we invite artists and communities to connect with us in our own special way. We programme a diverse range of music, theatre, visual arts, cinema and dance from local and international artists and companies. The architecture and quality of the building demand that we go beyond programming to embrace a positive ambition.

We work with, and listen to our communities ensuring ownership of the building, so that local life and people are always reflected in our activities.

We are a visual arts space curating exceptional local, national and international exhibitions of artistic excellence.

We are a performing house presenting a diverse range of performing arts and cultural cinema from local and international artists and companies.

We connect with children, schools, youth, families, individuals and groups through our learning and participation programme.

We are a café, a meeting point where people from different creeds and communities get together and socialise.

We support professional artists so that they have access to space, resources and expertise to develop and explore their practice.

We commission and produce new work with artists that not only often reflect our immense heritage, but also how we live our lives. These events sometimes tour, reaching further both nationally and internationally.

Our Mission

Our mission is to be a thriving regional arts centre of excellence in the north east of Ireland, connecting artists and their work to local, national and international audiences.

Home
We aspire for Solstice to be an open comfortable space of welcome and belonging for all our users. Between the daily grind and domestic life, we are a third space of individual freedoms.

Awaken
We believe that arts and culture illuminate our lives, and awaken possibility in everyone. We create extraordinary creative moments that stir hearts and minds. We commission and produce contemporary arts that resonate with our lives and lands.

Bold
Solstice is a cultural resource that shares our creative projects beyond all types of barriers and borders. We like to be audacious and ambitious about what we can do and where we can do it.

Brilliance
We are a catalyst for artistic excellence and quality user experiences. Our staff are resilient and resourceful, using shared expertise to deliver operational and corporate brilliance.

Together
The diversity of our users enriches our vision. We nurture an inclusive and equitable environment, leveraging positive societal impact through our collective activities.

Spaces & Hire

Solstice Arts Centre is home to a range of spaces suitable for all types of artistic practice: performance, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and informal meets. A hub of connectivity, the award-winning centre was designed by leading architect Shelley McNamara of Grafton Architects and opened to the public in 2006.

THEATRE

The 320-seat theatre space is the core of performing arts in Meath. With 20 flying lines and the latest lighting and audio technology, the theatre can support the professional development of regional groups whilst producing a vibrant national and international performance programme.

Downloads:
Technical Specifications
Stage Cross Sections
Stage with Fly Bars
Plug Map

CINEMA

The main auditorium also operates as a cinema, showing a mixture of new release, art house, independent, Irish and children's films. Cinema facilities include a state-of-the-art digital 4K Sony Projector, Dolby Surround Sound and a 10 metre screen which takes up the full width of the stage area, making it one of the best venues in the northeast to enjoy films. This project was supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in conjunction with Meath County Council.

GALLERY

Located on the third floor, the Solstice Gallery is finished to the highest professional standard. The natural light through three connecting rooms can be controlled when required by a bespoke blind system. Integrated track lighting offers dynamic lighting options for visiting artists. With the provision of internet ports and audio in each of the galleries, Solstice can support a diversity of visual arts curation.

Download Gallery Plan

FOYER

This ground-floor space provides a comfortable, child-friendly dining area for our cafe (open 9:00am – 4:00pm Monday – Saturday) and pre-concert bar with free wifi for customers. The Box Office and visual spaces are also located in the Foyer.

STUDIO

Located on the ground floor, the studio provides a space of making and engagement between visiting artists and you, ideal for workshops and meetings.

For information about booking a space at Solstice Arts Centre contact Programme Manager Erin Kenny: erin.kenny@solsticeartscentre.ie

For technical information contact Technical Manager Nell Conneally at: nell.conneally@solsticeartscentre.ie

Gallery Room 2 View Rooom 3 in background

Who we are

The team behind Solstice are always working to make your experience exceptional. Staff member contact details are below, or scroll down to read more about our Board of Directors.

Belinda Quirke

Artistic Director Email

Alison Dowling

Administration Manager Email

Erin Kenny

Programme Manager Email

Janine Donnelly

Marketing Manager Email

Deirdre Rogers

Visual Arts Facilitation & Engagement Co-ordinator Email

Nell Conneally

Technical Manager Email

Niall Murphy

Maintenance Manager Email

Louise Kirwan

Front of House Manager Email

Aisling McNamara

Box Office Assistant Email

Sarah-Jane Coxon

Box Office Assistant Email

Board and Governance

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Oonagh Young

Bio coming soon.

Fiona Lawless (Chairperson)

Fiona Lawless is Chief Executive of Meath County Council.

Originally from Trim, Ms. Lawless has worked with Meath County Council since 2002, she is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants with a BSc in Management and over 40 years work experience including 20 years senior management experience in local government and senior level experience with Eircom, Loctite and PwC Ireland.

In her role as Head of Finance, Ms. Lawless has been on the board of the Navan Enterprise company and sits on the LEADER IEC Committee. She developed the first corporate governance framework for local authorities in Ireland which was implemented in Meath County Council and used by the IPA as the national template for the corporate governance framework and governance code for the local authority sector. As Chairperson of the National Debt Management Project Group, she led the development of a strategy on debt management for the local government sector which was adopted and implemented by all 31 local authorities.

Ms. Lawless currently represents and leads the local government sector at national level in the following areas:

Member of the Board of The Housing Agency
A member of the Audit Committee of the Housing Agency and LGMA
Local Authority representative on the National Loans Management Group
Member of National Mortgage Arrears Resolution Committee

In Meath County Council, Ms Lawless has led the delivery of a substantial performance, change management and employee engagement program which resulted in more effective and efficient service delivery and huge savings in both financial and human resources.

As a previous Director of Finance, Water, Procurement, Motor Tax and IT, Ms. Lawless has a unique insight and knowledge of the Council’s various service division work programmes as well as their key challenges and requirements. The added responsibility of managing the Ashbourne Municipal District and Laytown/Bettystown Municipal District equips her with in depth strategic and operational knowledge and experience.

In June 2023 Ms Lawless achieved a Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Internal Audit.

Ms. Fiona Lawless, Chief Executive of Meath County Council is committed to continuous change and adaptation for the benefit of Meath County Council and its citizens.

Arthur Lappin

Arthur Lappin has for over 30 years been a leading film and theatre producer. He has been a producer on 16 feature films, several TV series and documentaries. He has produced over 20 stage productions in all major Dublin theatres and on tour in Ireland, the UK and Australia. His feature films, which include My Left Foot, The Field, In The Name of The Father and In America, were nominated for 16 Academy Awards and won 4 as well as many other international awards.

He also works as a Consultant in the cultural sector - previous clients include The Arts Council and The Abbey Theatre and most recently he was Strategist and bid book Editor for Galway’s successful bid for European Capital of Culture 2020.

His many voluntary board positions include Founding Chair of the National Training Committee for Film and TV (now Screen Training Ireland) and The Ark, as well as Chair of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival. He is a native of Kells, Co. Meath with several business interests there.

Arthur was appointed as a Member of the Board on 24/10/2016.

Caitríona Heslin

Caitríona has been actively involved in all aspects of drama and theatre over many years including marketing, design, production, acting and directing. She has a particular interest in sustainable community-based drama activities through increasing standards and supporting local partnership developments.

Caitríona directed a number of productions for Navan Theatre Group in Solstice Arts Centre including A Streetcar Named Desire, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Translations and in 2016 The Plough and the Stars to mark the centenary celebrations. Caitriona has also designed and facilitated a range of theatre resources and workshops.

Working in the Irish public health system for many years in clinical, strategic, policy and organisation development consultancy gives Caitríona a rich blend of experiences and knowledge to share. She is a native of Longford and lives in Navan.

Caitríona was appointed as a Member of the Board on 07/05/2019.

Helen Stanton

Helen Stanton is Manager of Public Engagement, Outreach and Education at the Devenish Lands at Dowth, County Meath.

Previously, Helen worked as an executive coach and consultant for senior leaders in organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors such as Intel, eir, Bulmers, The Bar Council of Ireland, The Law Society of Ireland, Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, Dundalk IT, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland and the South West Inner City Local Employment Centre. She worked in Eir as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive and also as Manager of Regulatory Affairs.

Helen started her working life in IBEC’s Brussels office specialising in telecommunications liberalisation and R&D funding. She has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in European Economic and Public Affairs. Despite the largely techie career, Helen has had a life-long interest in the arts.

Helen was appointed as a Member of the Board on 01/11/2018.

Cllr. Francis Deane

Cllr. Francis Deane was born and raised in Navan from a farming background and attended St Patrick's Classical School. Owner and operator of a well-known menswear shop on Trimgate Street for 23 years, Francis has been heavily involved in many local and national organisations, having served on the following bodies: Founder member and secretary of Leinster Lamb Producer group; Former active member of Macra na Feirme, An Taisce and the IFA; Former member of Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association; Former Mayor of Navan/Leas Chathaoirleach of Meath County Council.

At present Cllr. Deane is serving in the following roles/areas: Chairman of Ramparts/Boyne Canal Enhancement Plan; Chairman of Navan Live Animal Crib Committee; Chairman of Old Athlumney Graveyard Committee; Chairman of NMD Tidy Towns Committee; Member of Meath Joint Policing Committee; Vice-chair of Navan Enterprise Centre; Vice-chair of Old Johnstown Village Community Group; Committee member of Meath County Council SPC; Knights of St Columbanus member.

Cllr. Deane was appointed as a Member of the Board on 26/06/2019.

Cllr. Yemi Adenuga

Cllr. Yemi Adenuga is Ireland’s first ever elected Black Female public representative and Meath County Council’s first migrant councillor. She ran in the local elections of May 2019 and was elected as a Fine Gael councillor, representing Navan Municipal District. Yemi and her family ‘The Adenugas’ are the first migrant family to feature on the TV hit reality show ‘Gogglebox Ireland’ which airs on Virgin Media Ireland. Yemi first lived in Dublin when she came to Ireland in 2000, and relocated to Navan in 2004, where she lives with her husband and children.

Cllr. Adenuga has a background in Radio and TV Broadcasting as a presenter, Newscaster, producer and Talk show host. She is a People Development Strategist, a Confidence Coach and an entrepreneur who builds people through the MIB INSTITUTE of People Development. She holds a Post-graduate certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise from the University of Dublin (UCD) Innovation Academy, a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree (Project Management stream) from the Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, a Bachelors of Business Studies (BBS Honors, Entrepreneurship Stream) and a Diploma in Business Studies (Human Resource Management Stream) both from University College Dublin (UCD).

Cllr. Adenuga was appointed as a Member of the Board on 26/06/2019.

Cllr. Padraig Fitzsimons

Biography coming soon.

Cllr. Padraig Fitzsimons was appointed as a Member of the Board on 26/06/2019.

Belinda Quirke (Company Secretary)

Belinda Quirke was appointed as a Member of the Board on 26/09/2007.

Inaugural director and artistic curator of Solstice, Belinda Quirke, is a graduate of NCAD, (MFA Art in the Contemporary World), UCC Music and Crawford College of Art, Cork. Belinda is currently a trustee of the Golden Fleece Award; an independent artistic prize fund established as a charitable bequest by the late Helen Lillias Mitchell. She is also guest lecturer at NCAD's MA/MFA Art in the Contemporary World. In June 2021, Quirke returned to music making with the release of “The Black Hill”. Her current research explores the attunement of ancient and electronic drone etymologies.

GOVERNANCE

Solstice Arts Centre is committed to good governance, complies with all regulatory requirements, and operates in accordance with its governing document. Solstice Arts Centre keeps detailed books and records of accounts and maintains strict financial controls. The organisation is transparent in its audited financial statements. Solstice Arts Centre is committed to complying with the guidelines given in the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for charities as outlined in the Arts Council’s document ‘Recommended Guidelines for Financial Reporting’ in 2016 in respect of accounts for 2015.

Solstice Arts Centre is registered with Revenue as a charity (CHY 17588) and with the Charities Regulator (Registered Charity Number: 20065775).

Audited Accounts 2021

Please email us on info@solsticeartscentre.ie if you would like to access our Audited Accounts for previous years.

Articles and Memorandum of Association