After a hugely successful inaugural Culture Crush event in 2023 and a fantastic Culture Crush + event earlier this year, we’re delighted to announce initial details for Culture Crush 2024.
St. Mary’s Church on the grounds of the RDS in Dublin 4 will host this years event. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Collaboration’
Culture Crush is an annual event for all professionals working in the cultural and creative sectors in Ireland across Film, TV, Animation, Games, Music, Immersive Technologies, Media, Visual Arts and Performing Arts.
Culture Crush connects creative communities, explores sectoral opportunities and challenges, and celebrates the success of creatives and the wider sector.
Through a mix of inspiring Talks, engaging Panel Discussions, enthralling Performances, interesting Guests, and exciting Networking, Culture Crush is THE annual event where the Irish cultural and creative communities come together, as one, to connect, share, and celebrate at a critical time for our sector.
Culture Crush was the perfect combination of impressive panels having insightful conversations, relaxed networking opportunities and breathtaking musical performances.
Lizzie Jones, Producer, Piranha Bar
Culture Crush is a vibrant space that gives us the chance to look up from our specialist perspectives and make creative connections with people from other disciplines, storytelling is the universal drive behind everything we do and there’s so much to be gained in reaching out and figuring out how we can work together.
Gilly Fogg, head creative at Lighthouse Studios
CHECK OUT SOME OF THIS YEARS GUEST SPEAKERS & PERFORMERS
- Karen Palmer: Storyteller from the Future, A.I. Artist & Thought Leader | Award-winning XR creator exploring the societal impact of AI, tech, and inequality through immersive experiences. Her work, like Consensus Gentium, uses AI and facial recognition to examine surveillance and bias. TED Speaker and SXSW 2023 winner.
- Pat Conran: VFX Supervisor at ILM Immersive | A 27-year ILM veteran, Pat Conran has worked on iconic films (Star Wars, Marvel, Avatar), leading groundbreaking VFX projects. He recently directed Apple Vision Pro’s What If…? An Immersive Story, winning an Emmy®.
- Sharon Mannion: Comedian & Writer | Known for her role in Bridget & Eamon, Sharon is an award-winning comedian, writer, and host of Dublin’s Comedy Cellar. Writer’s Guild Award winner for her play Stuck and known for The Curse of the Button Accordion.
- Steve Fanagan: Sound Designer | BAFTA and Emmy-nominated sound designer known for his work on Game of Thrones and Normal People. Steve has won multiple awards for his contributions to film and TV, including Room and An Cailín Ciúin.
- Dylan Haskins: Commissioner, Podcasts at BBC | Podcast commissioner behind award-winning shows like I’m Not a Monster and Have You Heard George’s Podcast?, Dylan is a leader in the podcasting world, with multiple Rose d’Ors and Podcast Academy Ambies.
- Eímear Noone: Conductor, Composer, Presenter | World-renowned conductor and composer behind the iconic World of Warcraft soundtracks, Eímear made history as the first female conductor at the Oscars. Her compositions span film, video games, and live orchestras.
- Colm Mac Con Iomaire: Composer & Violinist | Founding member of Kíla and The Frames, Colm is a multi-instrumentalist and award-winning composer. His scores include Róise & Frank and Steps of Freedom, with a portfolio spanning film, TV, and theatre.
- Anna Nolan: Head of Development at COCO Content | A veteran producer of Irish TV, Anna leads development at COCO Content (First Dates Ireland, Room to Improve) and chairs the National LGBT Federation. She’s worked with BBC, Channel 4, and RTE.
- Lawrence Schick: Principal Narrative Designer for Video Games | A game design veteran, Lawrence shaped Dungeons & Dragons and led storytelling on The Elder Scrolls Online and Baldur’s Gate 3. He’s currently working on Larian Studios’ next game.
- Aoife Barry: Journalist & Author | Cork-born journalist and author of Social Capital, Aoife writes for The Sunday Times, Irish Independent, and more. A regular broadcaster on RTE and Newstalk, she’s an expert in arts, culture, and media.
- Sheila de Courcy: Writer, Producer/Director & Consultant | A creative force in TV, radio, and writing, Sheila has worked with BBC, RTE, and The Irish Times. Formerly Group Head of Young People’s Programmes at RTE, her storytelling spans five continents.
- Derek O’Connor: Writer, Filmmaker & RTÉ Digital Culture Editor | Award-winning filmmaker and writer, Derek has worked on children’s TV, stage, and film, including the BAFTA-winning Roy and Popcorn. He’s also the co-founder of Sound! Film Festival.
- Lynn Scarff: Director of the National Museum of Ireland | Lynn leads the National Museum of Ireland, with a background in environmental education and Science Gallery Dublin. She’s known for fostering collaborations that merge art and science.
- Curtis Jobling: Author & Artist | Creator of Bob the Builder and Wereworld, Curtis is a celebrated author and illustrator. His Wereworld series, adapted by Netflix, brings his fantasy vision to a global audience.
Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet (CCIS) manages and organises Culture Crush with support from Screen Ireland, Coimisiun Na Mean, Skillnet Ireland and Furthr.
About the Organisers
Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet was established in January 2023 as a consolidation and expansion of three existing and established Skillnet Business Networks (Animation Skillnet, Screen Skillnet and Immersive Technologies Skillnet) to support the following cultural and creative sectors: Animation, Visual Effects, Games, Film, TV, Documentary, Post-Production, Immersive Technologies, AR/VR, Virtual Production, Digital Media, Entertainment Events, Music, Performing Arts and Visual Arts.
Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet is co-funded by Skillnet Ireland and network companies. Skillnet Ireland is funded from the National Training Fund through the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.