Adjudicator Patrick Sutton

Patrick Sutton
Adjudicator Patrick Sutton

We are delighted to welcome Patrick Sutton as the adjudicator of the 64th Ballyshannon Drama Festival.

Patrick is Director of The Gaiety School of Acting, the National Theatre School of Ireland. He is also the Director of the Newly established Smock Alley Theatre. Trained at Dartington College of Arts, England, Patrick graduated in 1980 with an honours theatre degree.

He has recently received his MA in Screenwriting from IADT. He has worked extensively as an actor in Ireland, England and France. Patrick is a former Director of Plymouth Action Community Theatre, The National Festival of Youth Theatres, Ireland, Wexford Arts Centre, and Artistic Director of TEAM Theatre Company. Patrick has worked at a senior level in politics, industry and the arts. He was a government appointee to the board of The Irish Arts Council where he acted as chairman of the grants and business and finance subcommittees (1997-2005) From 2005-2009 he served on the board of Culture Ireland, the International Irish arts promotion agency.

Patrick is a former Government appointee to the board of The Irish Museum of Modern Art. He is a former board member of Storytellers Theatre Company and The Project Arts Centre. He is currently a board member of The Lisa Richards Actors agency, The Arts for Peace Foundation, The Gaiety School of Acting and Smock Alley Theatre. Most recently he has been appointed to the Governing Authority of The Dublin Institute of Technology. Patrick is also Director of Communicate, a communications company working at senior level in Industry Politics and the Arts. He frequently appears as a guest presenter on MindFeed with Norah Casey on NewsTalk 106fm.