Ducking into an unopened Westend bar to escape the winter weather, Freelance Producer and Event Manager Emily Aherne and I shrug off our raincoats and sink into a cosy booth. As we warm up by candlelight, Emily catches me up on what’s been a whirlwind year. Check it out below...
“It’s been nuts,” she laughs, reflecting on what she calls the busiest, most rewarding twelve months of her career so far. “I was looking back at videos from January, and it feels like a million years ago.”
She’s not exaggerating. From launching the brand-new WTAF!? (Westend Theatre and Arts Festival) to reviving Hidden Gems for Culture Night 2025, Emily and her small but mighty team have been quietly reshaping Galway’s creative landscape.
“[WTAF!?] was an incredible experience,” she says. “We’d done Hidden Gems before but that was six hours and suddenly this was ten days!” Despite the scale-up, she adds, “We couldn’t have been happier with how well it went and how much everyone engaged with it.”
For a first-time festival, it was a huge undertaking, especially for one powered by local sponsorships and sheer determination. “We’re always at the mercy of the funding gods,” Emily admits. “But I can never go without mentioning the support of the Westend. That community is such a supportive network, and will probably continue to be an arts hub for many generations.”
At the heart of it all was a small crew; Emily, Jess, and Mal. When asked about the challenge of working with friends, Emily smiles, “I think I’m working with the right friends. It’s really nice to find a team that you can work with.” She adds, “We brought in Eoin Mullins and Ash Behrend as our line producer and tech manager, and it literally couldn’t have happened without them.”
Emily’s easygoing, community-first ethos defines her approach to producing. After freelancing in London and Dublin, she returned home to work full-time in the arts with local theatre companies, while also officially launching HystERia Productions which she co-founded with Jess Harkin and MJ Devlin.
And there’s plenty on the horizon too. This year, HystERia are planning a Musical Theatre Rave in February alongside their One Acts Festival at the Town Hall Studio, the release of their short film series through February & March - which will have a full-scale production in April, and the return of WTAF!? later in the summer. “It’s all go-go-go,” she grins, “but in a good way.”
Beyond the packed calendar, Emily’s been reconnecting with her own creativity after being accepted into Wicklow Arts Centre’s Gap Day program. “My creative practice informs my producing practice because it’s really important to stay in touch with what makes you want to be an artist to understand what artists need.”
above: photo by Leo Seoigthe
Speaking on the current state of the arts, Emily says, “Galway is a cultural hub that brings in amazing art from elsewhere, but you have to foster what’s in the city and county too. There’s no point in being a cultural hub for others if you don’t support your homegrown arts scene.” For her, collaboration is key. “The only way we’ll be able to sustain being artists in Galway, and Ireland, is if we support and turn up for each other.”
In Galway’s fast-moving arts scene, Emily Aherne stands out for her forward momentum. Rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive, she’s actively creating her own, right here in the heart of Galway's West.
To keep up with HystERia’s latest projects, follow them on social media @hysteriagalway.
All photos of Emily Aherne by Ciarán MacChoncarraige.
