The Association of Irish Stage Technicians.

  • The A.I.S.T. is a voluntary organisation, open to and run by people who work in the entertainment industry on the island of Ireland.

  • Our aim is to improve safety at work and promote technical excellence through training courses and information.

  • The success of the A.I.S.T. can only be secured by the activity and commitment of its members.

  • The A.I.S.T. is powered by its membership and is run by a voluntary board of industry professionals.

The Team.

Liam Fitzgearld

Chairperson

Liam has been working in the entertainment industry, since 1993. Despite starting in sound, he has mostly worked in lighting and venue technical management. Liam has held a permanent post in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre as technical manager for the last 10 years, and was part of the original team who opened the building. Also in Draiocht Arts Centre as Technical Stage Manager for 2 years, and in the Stage Lighting Centre as technical sales, and consulting for 8 years; along with many short term lighting, production management, and consultant contracts in Opera, Ballet, Theatre, Music, Broadcast, Special FX and Corporate entertainment.

Liam has been a board member for over 10 years, currently the Chairperson and previously Secretary for 6 Years.

Annabelle Comer - Halliwell

Secretary

Annabelle graduated from the University of Galway with a BA in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies in 2024. As an emerging theatre maker her passion is in creating safe and sustainable workspaces within the arts industry and this has led her to working for the Association of Irish Stage Technicians for the last two years.

With her passion for theatre safety, she has focused her interest on production and stage management, working on amateur shows such as the 2023 Third Year Production, None the Wiser, The Life and Many Deaths of the Mad Monk which won the Jerome Hynes best production award, and A Rascals Digest which won the Jerome Hynes best Stagecraft award.

Mark Galione

Stagepass Coordinator (East Coast)

Mark is originally from London where he trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama.  In London Mark began as a Stage Manager and Lighting Designer in small scale theatre and then become a venue Technical Manager including five years working at Sadler’s Wells.  He then toured extensively with dance companies as a Technical Manager and LD.

Mark moved to Dublin in 1995. He has been a Construction Manager and Stage Manager but has been predominantly a self employed Lighting Designer and occasional Production Manager in Ireland.  He also has been a Warehouse Manager for a lighting hire company and a Project Manager and LD in the TV and events industries. He now splits his time between lighting design and CAD visualisation for High Res Lighting Ltd, lighting design for theatre and training.

Mark is a founder member of the A.I.S.T. and acted as Treasurer until 2019 .  He regularly designs and delivers teaching courses in lighting and co-wrote and delivers Stagepass. The Irish Theatre Industry’s safety awareness course.

Mike O’Halloran

Treasurer

Mike previously worked as a 35mm and digital projectionist, he joined Galway Youth Theatre in 2006 and has never looked back. Working mostly as a designer and technician until 2013 Mike now focuses on Production Management and teaching. Mike lectures in Stage Craft and Theatre Technology at the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance at the National University of Ireland, Galway. 

Mike has been a board member since 2017 and took on the role of Treasurer in 2019.  

Jay Kavanagh

Stagepass Coordinator (West Coast)

Jay is the Technical Manager for The Lime Tree Theatre and Belltable. He has worked in the entertainments industry in some shape or form for the last 20 years as a lighting / set designer, Technical Manager and Production Manager.

Jay has been a board member since 2017.