Prize Officer
Dr Michael Finneran (he/him) is founding Head of the Department of Drama and Theatre Studies at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, Ireland. His research interests include theatre ecologies, social justice, arts practice, creativity and arts education. He is author (with Kelly Freebody) of Critical Themes in Drama: Social, Cultural and Political Analysis (Routledge, 2021), editor of several volumes, and recently held an Irish Research Council award examining creativity and wellbeing. He was a visiting Gilbert Fellow at the University of Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Institute in 2021 and was added to the DCU Alumni Wall in 2020. Michael led the development of the Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick and served as a board member for a decade. He currently chairs the boards of Dance Limerick and Branar Téatar and continues to work as a director and lighting designer for both amateur and professional productions.