Our Team
Our expert team provide the know-how, services, tools and resources required to catalyse the growth of the network and connect the people within it.
Executive Director
Sarah Durcan
Sarah Durcan is the Executive Director of Science Gallery International. Sarah has a degree in Communications from DCU and a masters in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from UCD. She serves on the advisory panel of Dublin City Council’s Culture Company. She was a lead organiser of the #WakingTheFeminists campaign to achieve gender equality in Irish theatre. Sarah has a background in theatre producing and financial management and worked as the Executive Producer for award-winning Irish theatre company, Corn Exchange, as General Manager of Dublin Theatre Festival and General Manager of Dublin Fringe Festival. As a consultant producer and strategic advisor she has worked with ARCANE Collective Dance Company and Theatre Lovett on their international tours. She has served on the boards of The Abbey Theatre, Theatre Forum and GAZE Film Festival.
Talk to Sarah at sarah.durcan@sciencegallery.org.
Head of Engagement & Learning
Jahitza Balaniuk
Jahitza is the Head of Engagement & Learning at Science Gallery International. She has over 10 years’ experience in the Arts and Culture field and Communication and Marketing. Her academic background includes a Graduate Diploma in Marketing and Communication and Audiovisual (FAAP, Sao Paulo) and a Postgraduate degree in Communications Management (SENAC - São Paulo). Jahitza has a strong expertise in delivering complex projects and cultural events and also acted as an Editorial Producer, Programme Manager and Project Manager at the cultural institute Itaú Cultural (São Paulo), where she worked for 9+ years. Since graduating, she is involved with audiovisual projects as video editor and producer for diverse production agencies.
Talk to Jahitza at jahitza.balaniuk@sciencegallery.org.
Head of Research and Operations
Dr Ciara O'Dowd
Ciara provides financial support and strategic advice in all aspects of financial management, risk management, and best practice governance for the not-for-profit and charity sectors.
She was the Theatre Adviser to the Arts Council of Ireland, assessing applications and providing advice on policy development and implementation in the theatre sector nationally for over ten years. She was a co-author of the groundbreaking 2016 research study Gender Counts: An analysis of gender in Irish Theatre 2006-2015, commissioned by #WakingTheFeminists.
She has provided governance and financial controller services to The Care Trust DAC and Dublin City Council Culture Company. For The Care Trust, she worked with the senior management team to win two Carmichael Centre Good Governance Awards (Best Governance Initiative, 2018 and Best Annual Report, 2019).
Ciara has a BA in Drama Studies & English from TCD (2000); a professional Diploma in Accountancy from DCU (2001) and trained with Deloitte & Touche in Dublin, qualifying as a chartered accountant (FCA). She has particular expertise in control processes, internal and external audit, and corporate governance matters. She previously worked with the National Treasury Management Agency as internal auditor, as well as with Rehab Group and National Learning Network, large not-for-profit companies providing training to people with disabilities in Dublin. She gained an MA in Writing (2010) and PhD in Theatre History from NUI Galway (2014).
Talk to Ciara at ciara.odowd@sciencegallery.org
Project Manager
Ana Prendes
Ana Prendes works as a curator, writer and producer. Her curatorial work focuses on the impact of our techno-scientific culture on society. Following her work in the Science Gallery Youth Symposia and as a member of the Youth Advisory Group at Science Gallery London, she joined Science Gallery International as Project Officer.
Ana is also Assistant Curator and Communications Producer of Arts at CERN. She has been selected for programmes and fellowships at institutions such as the Documenta Institute, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ars Electronica, Falling Walls, and Humboldt University Berlin. Her writings have appeared in publications such as TANK Magazine, MAAT Museum Extended, Colombian Artistic Research Magazine, and CLOT Magazine.
Talk to Ana at ana.prendes@sciencegallery.org
Research Associate
Shaun Ussher
Shaun first joined the Science Gallery Dublin team as one of their fantastic mediators (who you’ll meet in the gallery space). From working in the exhibition, he worked with the research and learning team in Dublin, researching and evaluating non-formal science and art educational programs. With a background in neuroscience. Shaun is now undertaking his PhD at Trinity College Dublin and is Research Associate at Science Gallery International, where he leads the Network’s Impact Research Team. Shaun's research interests are centred on behaviour, cognition and the experience of interacting in a culture space, which he hope to develop further in the future
Talk to Shaun at: shaun.ussher@tcd.ie
Technology Manager
Garret Murphy
Garrett Murphy has joined the Science Gallery International team as Technology Manager. Garrett is a systems administrator with over 30 years of hands-on experience, supporting clients and delivering training. He has extensive real-world experience working in managed services helping companies work more securely. He is a cybersecurity instructor specialising in Threat Modeling and AWS Security, and he is passionate about cloud technology and security.
Talk to Garrett at: garrett.murphy@sciencegallery.com