Our History & Ethos
Presenting Christianity
Resourcing the Church
Supporting Christians in the Arts
New Irish Arts works in partnership with the Irish Church to present
Christianity through the Arts. The group was started as the New Irish Choir and
Orchestra in 1994 by Irish hymn-writer Keith Getty. We now have a network of
several hundred volunteer musicians, working alongside a small group of actors
and visual artists to produce a wide range of events throughout Ireland each
year.
We produce large events in the major Irish concert halls each year, but we also
enjoy collaborating with other musicians. Over the years we’ve worked with many
great people – including the Rend Collective Experiment, Clannad’s Moya Brennan,
Matt Redman, Stuart Townend, Yazz, Bluetree and of course Keith and Kristyn
Getty. We also broadcast regularly on BBC and RTE radio and TV.
In addition to these high profile events, our ministry also involves working on
many smaller community projects, where the Arts can help us to build bridges
with people who would probably not choose to attend a Christian concert. We
believe it is good to bless communities with God’s love, simply by sharing the
talents He has given us.
Wherever possible, we work in partnership with local churches. Occasionally this
means facilitating public events, or sometimes it leads to us providing training
and resources. Whatever the case, we aim to serve the wider church with
excellent quality Arts resources.
Over the years we have built a large network of volunteers for whom we aim to
provide support in their artistic endeavours. Often this happens naturally
within the group as people make connections while preparing for events, but we
also aim to provide some strategic resources to connect those who benefit from
sharing ideas about the use of the Arts in a Christian context, and also in the
wider world.
For those who like to know the formalities, we are a non-denominational
charitable company run by a Board of Directors. Our Creative Chief Executive
works alongside an Events Manager/Administrator in our Newtownards office.
Our People
Jonathan Rea
(Creative Chief Executive)
Click here for Jonathan's bio...
Jonathan Rea believes music is a gift from God, best used to glorify Him. As Creative Chief Executive of New Irish Arts, Jonathan is excited about using the Arts to point people to the life-changing power of Jesus.
Jonathan studied music at Cambridge, winning the Rima Alamuddin prize for performance. Having enjoyed 15 years of music teaching, including 10 as Director of Music in Bangor Grammar School, he is now combining his work in New Irish with a busy freelance career as conductor, pianist, arranger, producer and composer. He is also in demand as a seminar speaker, focusing on worship, music and church life.
When the music stops, Jonathan relaxes in the company of his longsuffering wife and hilarious children, ideally in a caravan on the North Coast of Ireland.
Clara Johnston
(Events Manager/Administrator)
Click here for Clara's bio...
Clara Johnston first got involved in New Irish as a member of the Choir and a clarinetist in the Orchestra. She has been the Administrator and Events Manager since 2007. A music graduate of the University of Ulster, she regards it as a privilege to serve God and work with the variety of people she encounters in her role in New Irish.
Board of Directors
Suzanne Bennett
Karen Bousfield
Bishop Ken Clarke
Stephen Douglas
Sir Nigel Hamilton (chair)
Heather Moore
Tom Orr
Gwyneth Reid
Fiona Woods
Honorary President
Keith Getty