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Jeanne SampierEcology Editor -
Ado LyonsMusic Editor -
Gianna TashaArt Editor -
Aoife BurkeFashion Editor -
Megan NelisLiterature Editor -
David BolandCreative Director -
Louise SpokesShop Manager -
Conor McDaidWeb Designer and Developer -
Thomas StewartOrganisational Architect
Galway native Jeanne Sampier is easily distracted by the beauty, strength and interconnectedness of the natural world.
Jeanne has worked on environmental research and education projects, at home and abroad, and believes that some projects have the ability to inspire us throughout our lives. Jeanne’s primary school, the Galway School Project (now Galway Educate Together), participated in a number of arts initiatives including The Macleinn Summer School, which involved working with Macnas to create organic sculptures of creatures in Renville Park, Oranmore. This time spent in Renville Park, she feels, is one childhood experience that sparked her interest and great love of nature.
Jeanne studied environmental science at NUI, Galway and holds a master’s degree in biodiversity & conservation. Her work to date has focused mainly on protecting pollinators (primarily bees). She is the lead author and facilitator for Green Sod Ireland’s biodiversity project for primary schools, Bee Aware. She wishes to create more ways of connecting people with nature and to explore the links between nature and our mental and spiritual development.
Jeanne is excited to be part of the AÁE Team and looks forward to collaborating with others that might be interested in contributing towards the ecology section. You can contact Jeanne at ecology@aae.ie
Ado Lyons was first introduced to the West’s musical world as a songwriter in Galway folk band Majestic Bears. Since then he has gone on to play an important role as promoter and organiser with Citóg Records. Ado began writing about music whilst in college, when his entry to Hot Press Write Touch got to the final 8 in the country. After a brief period contributing to, the now-disbanded, Ceol Collective Ado became involved with An Áit Eile, accepting the role of Music Editor not long after.
Gianna Tasha Tomasso is a Scottish born writer and visual artist based in Galway. Gianna is founder of StudioNine, a 2000 sq ft decentralised artist-led space in Tuam Co. Galway. Gianna has produced articles for publications such as Visual Artist Ireland News Sheet, recently covering TULCA Visual Arts Festival, and CIRCA online art journal. Her main research interests relate to the positioning of art in the wider cultural frame with a particular focus on the discourses surrounding the efficacy of art as a form of activism.
Gianna has exhibited artworks nationally and has been selected to participate in art related projects such as Developing Creative Practice Across Borders in Belfast and more recently working with The Centre of Artistic Activism in Dublin. Gianna looks forward to working with the An Áit Eile team and working towards developing the Art section as a collaborative and informative hub for those interested in art in Galway.
More can be found about Gianna at www.giannatashatomasso.com and www.studionineart.com. You can contact Gianna at art@aae.ie if you would like to contribute in the art section or collaborate on future projects.
Megan graduated with a Master’s Degree in Literature & Publishing at NUI Galway in November 2016. Her research dissertation examined semiotic storytelling strategies in children’s picture books and their interactive apps on visual literacy development. She was a member of the editorial team for ROPES, a literary journal published annually by the MA students in NUI Galway.
Megan recently took on the role of Literature Editor for An Áit Eile. She looks forward to collaborating with writers, editors and publishers based in the west of Ireland.
Please send queries/submissions to: literature@aae.ie
You can also reach Megan on Twitter @nelis_megan
David Boland is a songwriter who goes under the name New Pope.
He has a BA in Philosophy, Sociology and Politics from NUIG, a Level 5 Award in Music from GTI, a Postgraduate Certificate in Innovation, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship from UCD and is a past participant of the Access Music Project.
Since 2010 he has curated a night of original music in the Róisín Dubh called Citóg and is the founder of local independent record label and collective Citóg Records.
Louise is a Visual Artist, Facilitator, and Jewellery designer/maker. Currently studying an MA in Arts Policy and Practice at The Huston School of Film & Digital Media, NUIG, she also holds a BA (Hons) Fine and Applied Art from the University of Ulster, Belfast (2009). Louise is a member of Engage Art Studios, and Co-director of 126 Artist-Run Gallery, Galway. Louise is the Shop Manager for An Áit Eile
Contact Louise Spokes
Conor McDaid is a Web Designer and Developer on the An Áit Eile team. Understanding and manipulating code and form on both the back end and front end of web connected devices is his passion.
In the last few years, Conor has started a web development company called Devise which is situated in Galway City in the west of Ireland. There he creates web solutions for all types of companies in Ireland and abroad. Previously, Conor worked in Canada, Ireland and Korea working on a wide range of web developments such as a massive multi-player online game in Mech Warrior Tactics, a sliver bullion store, a national newspaper called Gaelsceál and several television promotion sites most notably Ros na Rún. He also helped design the first Galway Arts Festival TV site or GAFTV for short.
He went to the National University of Ireland in Galway where he completed his Master in Digital media. Before this, he studied at Letterkenny IT, graduating with a BSc in Applied Computer Science and a BA in Design and Digital Media and while studying for his BA he was awarded with a Irish Digital Media Certificate for a student project.
When it comes to computers and more importantly web development Conor has a genuine enthusiasm that keeps him interested in the ever evolving realm of digital media. He is dedicated to learning new technologies and techniques to make the web a better place. With An Áit Eile he wishes to bring web development, design, art, and new emerging technologies together.
Contact Conor McDaid
Tom Stewart is a dancer and co-founder of An Ait Eile, the other place.
Tom holds degrees from Trinity College Dublin in Sociology and Social Policy and Psychoanalytic Theory.
He is an advocate-practitioner of cooperative and commons-based approaches to the supply of social goods and cultural infrastructure, operating as member of the Exchange Dublin collective
peer education project Open Learning Ireland.
He has been awarded by Dublin City Council and the Institute Without Boundaries for collaborative service design.
He is currently a Peer Mentor within Galway Volunteer Centre’s ‘Flourish’ support service.
Contact Thomas Stewart