Amberlea Neely

Amberlea is the Founder and Director of Starling Start, a consultancy renowned for its excellence in managing and delivering transformative, creative, and strategic projects. With 20 years of experience in the sector, she has cultivated an extensive network of professional connections.

At Starling Start, Amberlea has undertaken pivotal roles, demonstrating exceptional leadership in the cultural and creative sectors. She has successfully managed numerous flagship initiatives and programmes, exploring heritage and connections between places and communities. Under her guidance, Starling Start has conducted comprehensive audits and executed impactful research and engagement projects. Amberlea's innovative approach has earned significant recognition and investment, contributing to major cultural celebrations and developments.

Previously, Amberlea served as the Acting Director of non profit organisation PLACE, where she championed the development of cutting-edge, creative, intelligent, and inclusive public engagement in the built environment. She has also contributed her expertise as a Lecturing Associate on the MA Arts Management programme at Queen's University Belfast, leading seminars on strategic planning methods.

Currently, Amberlea is a proud trustee of the Strand Arts Centre, which is undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment. She has also served as Chair of the Belfast Photo Festival, the largest photography festival in the UK and Ireland, and was a founding board member of Platform Arts.

Amberlea holds an MSc in Cultural Management and a PG Cert in Executive Leadership.

Starlings are renowned for their extraordinary ability to communicate and respond to each other with remarkable speed and precision. As natural collaborators, we assemble the best teams for each project. Here are some people who add great value to our flock.

Dr Aisling Rusk

Aisling is founder of award-winning Belfast-based architecture practice, Studio idir, working on a range of bespoke residential, community engagement, conservation and hospitality projects. Her research and work explore practices that build connection in the leftover and in-between spaces of cities during and after conflict. Aisling was the inaugural chair of RSUA's Women in Architecture group (2010-23), supporting and promoting greater diversity in architecture in Northern Ireland. She teaches at QUB in the Streetspace Studio, and, in 2020, was named one of the Architect's Journal's 40 Architects under 40, a celebration of the UK's most exciting emerging architectural talent.

Dr Conor McCafferty

Conor has ten years of research experience with focus on diverse areas of heritage and both physical and digital collections. He has been Project Manager for two major National Lottery funded collections at Queen’s University Belfast and is now Arts and Heritage Collections Officer for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. His projects have included podcast development and production; oral history research, recording and publication; exhibition research and development; planning and leading summer schools in creative fields; and carrying out evaluations for not-for-profit organisations.

Dr Jane Morrow

Jane is an independent curator with a specific interest in artist development. She has held curatorial and artist development roles for a number of galleries and initiatives, across the UK and ireland. Jane is interested in working across gallery, studio and network contexts around formal and informal learning environments for artists. Jane is experienced in working with artists working regionally and nationally at all stages of their careers.

Morag Stuart

Morag is an arts marketing consultant with over twenty-five years marketing, fundraising and business development experience across a broad spectrum of organisations and sectors including National Museums NI, Wheelworks and Forward South. Morag has a proven track record of winning fundraising campaigns, managing successful membership schemes and delivering a wide range of public events at the highest level. She is a Lecturing Associate on the MA Arts Management at Queen’s University Belfast.

Meadhbh McIlgorm

Meadhbh is a multi-disciplinary artist-maker of things and experiences. Her artistic practice is concerned with material processes and how they can connect to the intangible. As a creative producer she has worked with many artists and arts organisations managing events, exhibitions, public engagement programs and professional development opportunities including 9ft in Common. She is a studio holder at QSS Artist Studios, Belfast.

Aaron Vinaccia

Aaron is a recently qualified Part II Architectural Assistant. Graduating from Queen’s University in 2022, his projects focused on adapting built heritage and preserving our natural environments. His previous work within the charitable sector amplified these interests, firmly grounding his design ethos in sustainability and improving spaces for the public. His dissertation researched the impact of tourism on the built environment surrounding World Heritage sites and the knock-on effect that has on what this designation seeks to preserve, including the communities connected to these sites. As well as his work for 9ft in Common, he is an architectural assistant in Studio idir.

Kevin Points

Kevin is a Belfast based graphic designer with over 25 years of experience and a lifelong love of music and culture. He’s the founder and creative director of Points, a brand design practice who specialise in “design for the anti-bland”. His strength is launching or rebranding organisations in a way that’s strategic whilst also being thoughtful, expressive and creative. Partnering with businesses and brands that make a positive difference to people’s lives, Kevin’s approach is highly collaborative, giving his undivided attention and undiluted energy from strategy to launch.