Staff – Signal Arts Centre

Our Team

Claire Flood is Signal’s epicentre. She is the supervisor of the CE (community employment) project, administrator of everything else & knowledge base of all that happens. If there is anything you need to know she’s the person to ask. Claire has been with Signal since 2002.

Often mistaken for a young Pierce Brosnan, Conor chose a different path to the Navan native by attaining a Degree in Art History in UCD and completing his M.A. in Arts Management & Cultural Policy in Queens University, Belfast.
Conor’s hobbies include long distance marathons, rock climbing and abseiling. Recently he narrowly missed setting a new Irish record in the NYC marathon by 3/100ths of a second. Equipped with extreme levels of enthusiasm and energy, Conor is determined to bring these qualities to his work in Signal Arts.

Jonathan comes from a photography background (Graduated with a BA in Photography 2013 From DIT) and has in recent years moved into web development (Graduated H.Dip in Web Technologies from NCI in 2017). He is currently knee deep in a redesign of the website or making Instagram or Facebook posts, or maintaining the current website. Interested in all sports, but especially soccer and hurling. Gaillimh Abú.

John McCann returns to Signal Arts after completing a two year Graphic Design Course in Bife where he earned his level 6 plus higher National Diploma. Picking up from where he left off with the Signal newsletter he hopes to gain more experience with further training and working with new clients.

Beata’s philosophy is all about nature, a healthy lifestyle and natural hand-made products.
She makes and markets her own natural soap and cosmetics through her Facebook Page ‘Soap Marriage’.
And she also restores old funiture and does interior design. Her other passion is fashion and photography. She also loves to travel, explore new places and culture.
Beata loves to cook and spend time with her family and friends and walking her dog, sweet Lulu. Whilst in Poland Beata was working in her local Post Office and running her own business.
Here in Ireland she has studied and completed Business Management and Administration QQI Level 5 and just recently she completed a course in Payroll Accounting.

Alva Smith is a new member of our administration staff. Living in Shankill Co.Dublin, Alva has vast experience in the Secretarial and Bookeeping world. In her spare time she likes to take her energetic Cockapoo ‘Lola’ for walks. At present she is attending Signal’s Weaving and Tapestry class being held by our own Anna O’Rourke. Her other hobbies include Yoga, reading, and going on holidays, and keeping up with the soaps.

Graduating from West Wales School of the Arts in 2010, Jade is a visual artist working in the medium of oil painting.
Jade has exhibited in Ireland and the UK and is currently based in Dublin. Current work draws inspiration from still life painting, particularly the Dutch and Flemish schools.
Her work is a contemporary take on traditional still life and it’s associated themes.
Jade has recently exhibited as part of the Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition in London and been shortlisted for both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Ulster Academy’s Annual Exhibitions.

Drew Freeland is an Irish artist based in Dublin and Wicklow and works with the visual image. He has recently graduated from Dun Laoghaire IADT with a bachelor honours in Photography.
His work involves portraits and landscapes and street photography exploring the urban space. While working mainly with the still image he creates books and works with the moving image. He has exhibited his work at group shows around Dublin and looks forward being apart of the Signal Arts team.

Ciaran is an Actor/Theatre Manager with numerous credits on stage and screen. Ciaran also studied Arts Facilitation and has been involved in various Community Arts projects.

Now he is currently writing a piece for stage which he hopes to premier in the Autumn.

Lorna Lennon is an artist and writer living in Bray. She is especially interested in Visual arts and teaches Drawing and Watercolour Painting. She has a Higher National Diploma in Fine Arts as well as qualifications in Marketing and Public Relations. Her interests include playing the bodhran, tin whistle, and crafts.

Donal comes from a business background importing children’s playground equipment.

He is interested in music and writing, and Donal will be studying computing and IT.

Olive Merry is an aspiring artist who spent four years at Geneva H.E.A.D. Art school specialising in print. She recently did a level 6 QQI in Art in Sallynoggin C.F.E. Olive likes the medium of drawing and watercolour, she is also a big fan of David Hockney’s work, reads a lot especially in French and likes to walk in her spare time.

James Hayes is an established sculptor proficient in a wide range of traditional and new media skills, ranging from authentic Bronze Age metal casting to complex 3D computer modelling and image manipulation.
He has been commissioned for site specific public, corporate & private sculpture regularly since 1995, and has exhibited extensively in Ireland and North America.
James is a professional member of Visual Artists Ireland since 1993. James has organised and run five “Umha Aois” experimental bronze casting symposia, and is an active participant on the “Umha Aois” projects since 1996.
He has trained in traditional visual arts and sculpture skills in Toronto, Canada, and has since extended his skills base with a Bachelor of Arts from Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology, and a Master of Science in Multimedia Skills from Trinity College, Dublin.

Kaisa is originally from Finland where she studied Fine Arts.
She has also spent many years living and working in the UK and South Africa before moving to Ireland.
Recently Kaisa has studied Fashion Theatre and Media Make-Up in Bray and has since worked on various Film Sets and in Theatre.
Her interests include World Travel, Art and Culture, Nature and Hiking.

Claire comes from a ‘Crafty’ background. Her mother is a dressmaker and owned a Fabric and Craft shop locally here in Bray. Alongside her sisters, she worked as a class tutor, teaching sewing, and childrens art classes. After working as a nanny for six years, she has now returned to doing what she loves best, crafts and teaching. Claire has a F.E.T.A.C. level 5 in fashion design and is a keen dressmaker.

Carmel O’ and design at B dwyer studied art BIFE Bray, and then continued to weave art into her life, developing her own style, which often speaks of celtic spirituality. She also studied Holistic Health at Bife and then went on to do a business degree at IADT, Dun Laoghaire. She has a keen interest in art Therapy, which focuses more on the process of creating rather than the end result and is used as a means of expression in counselling and psychotherapy. She plans to do further study in this area. Carmel is also a classical hatha yoga teacher of 20 years; she runs weekly classes near her home in Greystones.

Dan is a Multimedia visual artist, musician and sculptor. In the field of music he is an accomplished guitarist/composer and has performed at theatres, festivals and corporate events throughout Ireland for well over a decade. In the area of the visual arts Dan has a diverse set of interests and skills including graphic design, pencil work, print making, painting and geometry. Dan also spent a number of years working as a marble fireplace maker where he discovered and nurtured his passion for sculpture, this has been his main area of focus in recent years.

Our Team

Claire Flood

Conor Rafferty

Jonathan Higgins

John McCann

Beata Piotrowska

Alva Smith

Jade Butler

Drew Freeland

Ciarán Coogan

Lorna Lennon

Donal Smyth

Olive Merry

James Hayes

Kaisa Ypya

Claire Jeffares

Carmel O'Dwyer

Dan Laffan