Marie McPartlin is a Director and Artistic Programmer commissioning and developing cutting-edge cross-disciplinary projects across music, visual art, performance and new technologies. Since February 2015, she is Director of Somerset House Studios, London. A recipient of a Paul Hamlyn Breakthrough Award for exceptional cultural entrepreneurship in 2009, she has twice served as a festival director, and under ACE’s Cultural Leadership Programme, was appointed Associate Programmer, Contemporary Music at the Barbican.

Somerset House Studios

Somerset House Studios is an experimental workspace for artists across disciplines in the centre of London, which Marie has shaped and led since 2015. The Studios supports up to 60 artists at any one time to develop new creative projects and collaborations. Current resident artists include Gaika, Hannah Perry, Imran Perretta, Jenn Nkiru and Tai Shani.

As the inaugural Director, her role combines artistic direction, curation and artist development with oversight of the capital development, business and operational plans for the Studios.

She has commissioned and developed many new works from artists including Beatrice Dillon, Christian Marclay, Jenna Sutela, Keiken, Serafine 1369 (Jamila Johnson Small) and Turner Prize nominee Sin Wai Kin. Ash Sarkar, Brian Eno, Hito Steryl and SOPHIE are amongst the artists and thinkers who have featured in the ongoing critical programme of the Studios.

The Studios also works with national and international partners across sectors to devise artist initiatives and residencies exploring subjects such as machine learning, AI ethics, music production and artist-led learning.

  • Kinsale Arts Festival, Ireland

    Director for two terms 2013-2014, Kinsale commissioned an extensive programme of site responsive work, which unfolded across two 17th century forts, churches, factories and the harbour itself, including new large-scale works by Heather and Ivan Morison, and art-architecture practice Something & Son.

  • London Word Festival

    Co-founded in 2008, the festival ran for four years across spaces in east London, supported by a Paul Hamlyn Breakthrough Award. Commissions included new works and performances from Alan Moore, Tim Etchells and Ant Hampton, Saul Williams, Christian Bok, Maria Fusco and Hannah Silva.

  • Freelance

    Marie has worked extensively as a programmer, producer and consultant specialising in cross-disciplinary work with many notable organisations including Frieze, Create London, Sydney Festival and the National Trust.

mcpartlinmarie@gmail.com

@MarieMcPartlin