The Board of Kinsale Arts Festival is delighted to announce its appointment of new Artistic Director Marie McPartlin.

Marie succeeds Gemma Tipton, who stepped down after two years as Guest Artistic Director to return to her work as a writer and curator.

Marie McPartlin comes to Kinsale with an impressive track record as an independent programmer and producer in the UK. As co-founder and director of London Word Festival, an annual celebration of words, text and language across spaces in east London, she was a recipient of a Paul Hamlyn Breakthrough Award for outstanding cultural entrepreneurship in 2009.

Upon graduating in 2003, Marie worked with music promoters Mean Fiddler Music Group (now Festival Republic) for three years before taking over as Live Music Programmer at London experimental music venue, the Spitz. She was appointed Associate Programmer Contemporary Music at the Barbican in 2009 under the Cultural Leadership programme, as part of which she was seconded to Sydney Festival, Australia.

Marie has since worked as a freelance programmer and producer with a number of prestigious music and arts organisations across the UK, including the Roundhouse, Frieze Art Fair, the National Trust, Royal Albert Hall and CREATE.
 â€¨Moving to Kinsale from London is something of a homecoming for Marie, who spent many summers in Ireland growing up, with her Irish family in Leitrim and Cork. She says “I’m thrilled to have made the move. Kinsale is a stunning location for an arts festival, and I’m excitedly exploring the eclectic places and spaces that make the town so unique. Some artists are already confirmed, and audiences can look forward some unusual and exciting new projects, alongside old favourites”.

Mareta Doyle, Chair of the Kinsale Arts Festival Board, said: "Marie's former experience will bring a fresh new dimension to the Festival and we anticipate a lively and far-reaching programme of events this July. She has already booked some wonderful acts for the festival and in this -  our ninth year -  we will be building on our international work, with new projects for The Gathering to be announced soon".

The dates for the forthcoming  Kinsale Arts Festival have already been announced as 6-14 July 2013.