In profile: Des Kennedy, the new artistic director at the Everyman in Cork

The Belfast native is already working his contacts book to secure interesting productions for the MacCurtain Street theatre 

Des Kennedy is the new artistic director of the Everyman. Picture: Darragh Kane

The new artistic director of the Everyman, Des Kennedy, says theatre saved his life. From Twinbrook in West Belfast, an area of immense social deprivation, Kennedy (42) joined a youth theatre group at the age of 13 which changed the trajectory of his life.

“I’m the only male member of my family who has never been to prison,” says Kennedy. “All my cousins went to prison. Finding a creative outlet, a passion, meant that I was doing youth theatre on Saturdays instead of stealing cars.”