Muireann has twenty years experience working in theatre with a focus on children and young people. For the past 5 years she was Theatre Programmer and Producer at The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children.

Previously she has worked with TEAM Educational Theatre Company (Education Director for 7 years), The Abbey Theatre’s Outreach Department, Wet Paint Arts, RTÉ, TG4, The Department of Education and Skills and others.

Muireann also works as an actor and director and most recently directed A Man in Half by Frances Kay for Theatre Lovett.

Muireann has programmed the Family Season of the Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival and The Children’s Season of Dublin Dance Festival for the last number of years.

Muireann has been a lecturer in Drama at St Patrick’s Teacher Training college, Drumcondra and is a regular guest speaker on theatre for children at other third level colleges. She has led several Professional Development courses in theatre and drama for teachers and facilitates workshops with children of all ages.

Muireann has been a committee member of Assitej Ireland: a world network of theatre for children and young people. She was a member of the core-working group on the published Artists ˜ Schools Guidelines: ‘Towards Best Practice in Ireland’. Most recently she was guest speaker and panel member at Danish+, an international conference focusing on ‘quality’ in theatre for young audiences. Muireann also works as a freelance consultant on theatre for children and young people.

She is a graduate of the Samuel Beckett Centre for Drama and Theatre Studies, Trinity College Dublin and also holds a HDipEd from TCD.

Testimonials

Unquestionably Muireann has raised the standard for Theatre for the young in this country. I am very excited she is now branching out to form her own Children’s Theatre Company with Louis Lovett. I have no doubt that she will raise the bar even higher.

Marina Carr, Playwright

Muireann Ahern is Ireland’s leading programmer and artistic producer of quality theatre for children and young audiences. She has proven herself to be a pioneer of high quality work, radically raising the bar for theatre for children and young people in Ireland.  Muireann’s vast experience as a teacher, a programmer, a producer, and a director sets her apart as an exceptionally qualified theatre maker. Not only has she raised the profile and standard of theatre for children and young people in Ireland, but in so doing, she has enriched Irish theatre and performance on a much wider level.

Dr Fintan Walsh Lecturer in Theatre Studies, Trinity College Dublin /Queen Mary, University of London

Muireann has an exceptional combination of skills that are very rare in Ireland – and, it has to be, said, globally. She has extensive knowledge of the performing arts, having travelled to major festivals and seen a huge amount of international work. She has presented papers at various world meetings and participated in panel discussions, specifically on theatre for young audiences. She has vast experience of working with children right across the age spectrum. She also has an understanding of the needs of teachers, as well as those of arts venue programmers/ managers.

During her time at The Ark, Muireann has undoubtedly helped raise the bar in delivering high quality theatre for children, applying all of her experience, skills and child-centered sensibility to producing innovative and challenging work. . Muireann has brought fantastic creative leadership in theatre to The Ark and made a superb contribution.

Eina McHugh, Director, The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children

Muireann is an excellent programmer with a profound knowledge of Irish and international theatre for young audiences. Muireann is highly regarded by her internationally colleagues, both as a programmer and as a producer and has built up an extensive network of contacts across the world.

Loughlin Deegan (Artistic Director, Ulster Bank Dublin Theatre Festival)

Muireann’s understanding of the type of work that would best serve a young audience is very well honed by experience rounded out by a good dose of intuition.

Laurie Uprchard Director, Dublin Dance Festival

Muireann has a thorough understanding of the needs of the performer and an excellent instinct for collaboration , I was able to trust to her guidance in a way that made it possible to feel creatively free. Her comprehensive knowledge of children’s developmental levels, cognitive abilities, theatre needs and sense of humour – and of logic – is a vital resource for the creative team.

Lynne Parker, Artistic Director, Rough Magic Theatre Company

While directing the World Premiere of THE GIANT BLUE HAND by Marina Carr, producer Muireann Ahern greatly assisted the creative process and supported my artistic vision of bringing to life a dark and magical story for children.  Throughout pre-production and rehearsals I never once felt I had to compromise artistically and in open discussions about Carr’s unique world, language and themes I always felt reassured that Muireann’s wealth of experience would sensitively guide and inform the project.

Selina Cartmell, Director