My Career: Executive director of Project Arts Centre Orla Moloney

Did you always want to work in the arts?
Always! As a teenager, I would have settled for being an Oscar-winning actor or a Booker Prize-winning author, but running Project Art Centre is pretty much my dream.

My most formative work experience was… managing Shakespeare & Company bookshop in Paris when I was only 20. The owner, George Whitman, was a bit of a prankster so I was afraid it was a joke when he said I could start work… on April Fool’s Day. We used to open at 2pm and close up at midnight. The shop was full of poets and authors, as well as a continuous stream of ‘tumbleweeds’ – backpackers with a Hemmingway novel stuffed in their pockets, who exchanged a few hours work in the shop for a bed upstairs for the night. It was hard work but coming straight from 1980s Ireland, it seemed like bohemian heaven to me.

The most invaluable thing I learned early on in my career was… to grab whatever exciting opportunities might arise and see where they would lead, even if the route is a windy one. I’ve worked in a lot of different arts organisations over the years and worn a lot of different hats. I’ve learned a huge amount from colleagues and artists as a result, and all of it is useful when running an arts centre.

A common misconception about what I do is… that it is glamorous. Of course, I get to see lots of fabulous shows and meet wonderful artists, but anyone who runs a venue spends a lot of time thinking about basic things… like toilets.

My main responsibility in work is… to make sure everyone at Project has what they need to do their work effectively, in line with our ethos and our remit. Our current strategy focuses on connecting a broad diversity of artists, audiences and communities, and providing a space where inspiring, challenging work is presented. I’m lucky to work with such a dedicated team who are committed to making this happen. 

Do you have a career mentor or someone you look up to/seek advice from?
We have a brilliant board at Project and I can contact the chair or any of the board members for advice. I also work very closely with our artistic director Cian O’Brien, and we bounce ideas off each other all of the time. 

The biggest risk I have taken in my career so far is… to leave a job in arts management in my late thirties to go travelling for a year. Totally worth the risk.

The first thing I do every morning is… catch up with our artistic director, Cian. We may have been together until late the previous night at a show in the building but by 10am the next day, there will always be a lot of news to catch up on. We have some exciting projects in the pipeline this year including representing Ireland at the Venice Biennale with artist Eimear Walshe, curated by Sara Greavu. We have also just started a four-year European Project focused on promoting the work of dance artists with disabilities. So along with the day-to-day work in the building, there is a lot of planning going on.

My morning routine is… every day is different but I will always start by looking at the show reports from the night before and taking a quick look at emails and upcoming meetings in the diary.

I travel to work by… bus. I love having that 20 minutes to get my head straight for the day; I get the chance to look at the papers online and take a peek at the emails waiting for me.

I start my working day at… 10am. With shows in the performance spaces and the gallery, I end up working a lot of late evenings, so the building doesn’t open until 10am. But by the time I get in to work, I have usually responded to emails, made a couple of calls and started planning for the various meetings coming up during the day.

I break for lunch at… whatever time I can depending on meetings or issues arising in the building. But if possible, I’ll stop close to 1pm and get something to eat. I need fuel!  I have a bad habit of eating at my desk while I continue to work, but I do try to get outside for a quick walk, even if it is just for 10 minutes.

The most useful business tool I use every day is… my phone. I can’t believe how dependent I’ve become on it. 

I rarely get through my working day without… coffee. I probably should have listed a flat white in the morning as my most useful business tool!

The best part of my day is… talking to artists about their plans or seeing their work in our performance spaces or in the gallery. It is the thing that makes all of the long days and the late nights worthwhile.  We are lucky at Project to work with the most amazing artists. I am in awe at their constant inventiveness and skill. 

Before I go to bed, I’ll… read something – a novel – not work-related. At the moment I’m reading The Bee Sting by Paul Murray.

If you want to get into my line of work, my advice is to… just jump in. Don’t wait for the ‘right’ job to come along. Take work in arts organisations and see as much work as possible.  Learn how things work from different angles – in a company, in a venue, as part of a support organisation. See more work. Make contacts. If you are passionate about supporting artists in making and presenting work, then it will be the most satisfying job you’ll ever have but if you are looking to become rich, I’d suggest another career altogether.

Imagery courtesy of Orla Moloney. Feature image by Cait Fahey.