Sandy was a founding member, and later Executive Director of City Arts Centre, Dublin (1973 to 2001), overseeing the Centre’s development from one room in 1974 to the opening of the largest centre of its kind in Ireland (1988). The programme of City Arts Centre included all artistic disciplines, with a full public programme of visual art, theatre, music, dance, comedy, conferences and special events and was committed to the principles of community arts.  

The Centre also initiated pioneering educational and accredited programmes in community arts, disability arts initiatives and outreach programmes. In addition, Sandy was a founder and board member of CAFE (Creative Activity for Everyone, 1984 – 1990), now CREATE, the arts development organisation; board member of the Royal Hospital National Cultural Centre (1985 – 1990), later to become the Irish Museum of Modern Art; board member of the Dublin Film Festival (1988 – 1993); founding board member of the Junior Dublin Film Festival (1990 – 1994); Executive Committee Member of Trans Europe Halles, a European network of independent cultural centres (1997 – 2002), of which he is still an ambassador. 

He has also sat on a number of advisory and policy committees including the Irish government’s Commission for the Status for People with Disabilities and the Dublin City Council Development Board. Currently, Sandy is a co-director at Olivearte Cultural Agency, delivering training, consultancy and project management across Europe, and teaches on the cultural management masters course at the International University of Catalunya (Barcelona).

Find his Critical Voices essay here