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A children's arts organisation and publishing house.
Kids’ Own has a core team of staff who are committed to delivering on the vision and mission of the organisation. The team has a range of expertise across visual arts, literature, academic, digital media and education fields of practice. Kids’ Own also has a panel of freelance practitioners who support our work in the areas of finance, design, communications and video editing.
Ciara has worked as researcher on children’s books projects including the National Collection of Children’s Books at Trinity College Dublin, and “Gender Identity: Child Readers and Library Collections” at the Centre for Children’s Literature and Culture, Dublin City University. She is the co-editor of the volume Constructions of the Irish Child in the Independence Period 1910-1940 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018). Ciara has worked with the Museum of Childhood project, and helps to run a small charity, Providence Education, which supports Providence school in north-east India. She has also taught in a number of universities in Ireland and has worked in various administrative positions in the non-profit and public sector.
Emma graduated from NCAD in 2004 with a Bachelor of Design specialising in Metalwork. In 2009 she earned an Honours Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Policy & Practice at the National University of Ireland, Galway and since then has been working in the professional arts and cultural sector. Emma has a passion for community and educational arts practise and has worked on a variety of projects with Sligo Arts Service, Culture Night Sligo, Forum Theatre, RAPID, Primary Colours Sligo and The Model. Through this work, Emma also discovered a keen interest in digital media and technology which led to her role as a Digital Media Executive with Bua Marketing and OSD Digital Agency. Becoming a member of the Digital Supports Consultants Team for Fáilte Ireland, where she mentored several arts venues and festivals, assisting them in growing their digital presence. Since joining Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership in 2016, Emma has been involved in the management and development of the Arts in Education Portal (www.artsineducation.ie) on behalf of the Portal Editorial Committee. Stepping into the lead role of Digital Content Manager in 2018, Emma has focused on building online and offline space through the Portal where artists and teachers working collaboratively with children and young people within education can be supported and inspired. Emma has also led the management of the annual National Arts in Education Portal Day conference 2018 – 2022. In her current role as Operations Manager with Kids’ Own, Emma works alongside the CEO and Creative Director, supporting the smooth running of operational activities. Emma is excited to work with the Kids’ Own board, team and associate artists in this new role.
Acting Creative Director (Maternity Cover)
Jo is a writer, editor and cultural producer. She worked for many years with Kids’ Own as a project manager and latterly, as the Creative Director/CEO. During her tenure with Kids’ Own she oversaw dozens of collaborative arts projects between children and artists and published many new titles by children, for children. She also collated and published A Powerful Place, a book which delves into methodologies for collaborative practice between children and artists and explores Kids’ Own’s models of practice over twenty-five years.
Project Manager
Fiona has worked as an artist for fifteen years since graduating from NCAD in 2008. Her multidisciplinary practice developed over time to be more socially and politically engaged and in 2015 she obtained an M.A in Social Practice and The Creative Environment from LSAD. She has made projects throughout Ireland and Europe in gallery and non-gallery contexts. She has a multitude of experience working with children as an artist, afterschool assistant and care provider. Fiona believes passionately in arts ability to shed light on perspectives that often go unseen or unheard.
Project Manager
Dany is an experienced project manager and socially engaged artist with a background in primary education and a passion for inclusive, community-driven arts. Since 2016, he has led multidisciplinary projects across printmaking, street art, play, and festival programming, with a strong focus on engaging children, young people, and people with disabilities. His work is rooted in participation, creativity, and accessibility, aiming to create meaningful experiences that connect communities with the arts and their environment. He has collaborated with youth groups, disability service providers, and arts organisations nationwide. Dany also co-directs Pulled, a community print studio in Sligo, and the music and arts festival Spilt Milk.
Project Manager
Terry McGlynn is an experienced project manager with a background spanning film production, professional development, and live events. He began his career with Pembridge Pictures before joining CFA Society Toronto, where he managed large-scale professional development programmes and events for over 11,000 members. Terry also plays a key role with the Sligo Live music festival, co-programming the emerging artists “Arrivals” music trail, and leading digital marketing initiatives.
Communications and Development Manager
Originally from London, Lorna moved to Sligo in 2011 to join her family who all hail from there. Lorna’s background is in photography, where gig and band photography was a main influence but she also has a strong passion for portraiture. She worked as a content creator for Sligo Hub for a number of years, promoting all that is great about Sligo, before starting with Kids’ Own in 2023.
Graphic Designer
Martin has over 25 years experience as a graphic designer. A graduate of NCAD, he has worked in commercial graphics and extensively within the arts sector for galleries, artists and arts organisations. This has included designing arts publications, artist and museum catalogues, arts festival programmes and event guides. He has collaborated on catalogues for the Rubicon Gallery, Dublin, the Hunt Museum, Limerick, and the Model, Sligo. Martin has worked on publications for artists Maud Cotter (More than anything), Bernadette Kiely (Slow time local ground), Sean McSweeny (A Retrospective) and Sean Campbell (Selected works and The Sentinal Project/The Glass Canvas Project). He has recently collaborated with Kids’ Own on several publications including A Strong Heart, I Hope You Grow, and most recently This Giant Tent.
Arts In Education Portal Manager
Leah grew up on a farm in Co Wexford and after time spent in Dublin and abroad she has returned to the south east with her family. She holds a BA (Hons) in Business and Arts Management from IADT Dun Laoghaire and Diploma in Digital Marketing. Leah brings a wealth of experience in Project and Event Management in the Arts, creating and implementing in-person and online programmes.
Leah is passionate about the Arts and loves helping people to implement high quality programme and then connecting with those who will enjoy it. She worked for many years with Arts & Disability Ireland, making the arts accessible to people with disabilities, as artists, audiences and art workers. She has also worked with organisations such as Classics Now Festival and Firestation Artists’s Studios. Leah started her career in HR and Recruitment, progressing into event management with Diageo Ireland Sponsorships working on festivals like the Guinness Cork Jazz, Galway Races and regional festivals nationwide. At the weekend, Leah can be found at the beach walking her dog or on the sideline at one of her kids matches.
