Matthew Nevin, Director of CIACLA, revisits the origins of the Los Angeles-based Irish arts centre, a thriving community hub of creative activity and home to this month's Irish Film Festival Los Angeles.
I first set foot in Los Angeles 24 years ago, just as I was finishing school. Working at a local takeaway, I scraped together enough savings for a trip I had always dreamed of—a chance to visit the home of the film and television industry I had fallen in love with.
When I finally had enough coppers saved, I convinced my sister, Deirdre, to come along as my chaperone, and that's when I fell in love with the city. We managed to traverse the entire city on public transport - which, at the time, was practically impossible - and somehow wrangled our way into a film after-party, where we met The Rock and Sylvester Stallone. We even bumped into Courteney Cox in Malibu - it felt surreal, but the city had me at that point.
Years later, after touring artwork as a curator across the US for MART Gallery, I kept returning to Los Angeles, and I noticed something missing. There was no central space dedicated to contemporary Irish creativity.
While New York had long-established Irish cultural institutions, the West Coast lacked an equivalent - a hub for Irish artists to showcase their work, connect with audiences, and build careers. That’s why CIACLA - the Contemporary Irish Arts Center Los Angeles - a non-profit organisation promoting Irish arts in LA was founded.
CIACLA began as an idea, a grassroots effort built from the ground up by a passionate team of artists and cultural producers. Alongside fellow founders Jenny Minniti-Shippey and Ciara Scanlan, we envisioned a platform that would support Irish artists in LA, foster connections with the Irish diaspora, and create a bridge between Irish and American creative communities.
Now, with manager Jenn McGuirk and a dedicated voluntary board, CIACLA has grown from an ambitious concept into a thriving force in LA’s arts scene, bringing Irish film, theatre, music, and visual arts to the West Coast like never before.
📽️✨ Check out our Look Back at our 2023 Program!🌟
— CIACLA (@CIAC_LA) February 2, 2024
A heartfelt thank you to all the incredible artists, audiences, and partners who made it truly wonderful.
🙌🎨 Let's relive the magic together! 🎉 #CIACLA #2023Highlights #Gratitude #ArtisticJourneyhttps://t.co/K7G5WwWYdu pic.twitter.com/N6WuGtp2Gy
The challenge for CIACLA has always been space. Unlike many cultural institutions, we don’t yet have a permanent venue. But that hasn’t stopped us from building a community and establishing CIACLA as a vital resource for Irish artists. While we build towards our own building, we’ve embedded ourselves into the city’s creative fabric, partnering with theatres, cinemas, galleries, and performance spaces.
We're supporting theatre companies like Fishamble and Once Off Productions, helping them fill seats and connect with new audiences. We’ve staged performances like A Night in November, ensuring that Irish theatre has a presence in LA. Our annual Irish Contemporaries exhibition has become a staple of the visual arts scene, providing a platform for Irish visual artists to showcase their work to collectors and industry professionals.
CIACLA is becoming a community hub for Irish creatives in LA. Through our CIACLA Creative Network, we provide a monthly meet up for Irish artists, filmmakers, musicians, and writers to meet, collaborate, and support each other, fostering a sense of belonging in a city that can sometimes feel overwhelming and isolating for artists.
During the recent LA fires, we saw firsthand how important community can be. Many in our network were directly impacted, and while we aren’t a disaster relief organization, we did what we could—offering meetups, connecting people with resources, and making sure that those affected knew they weren’t alone. It reinforced what CIACLA is really about: bringing people together, supporting each other, and ensuring that Irish creativity has a home in LA.
One of CIACLA’s biggest achievements is bringing The Irish Film Festival Los Angeles (IFFLA) back to LA. Irish filmmakers have been making waves internationally, but for many, breaking into the LA film scene has been a challenge. IFFLA gives Irish film the visibility it deserves, and this year’s festival, running March 14-16 at the Laemmle Monica Film Center, is shaping up to be our biggest yet.
We’re showcasing a powerful lineup including the hilarious and heartfelt Four Mothers, the drama King Frankie, an scannáin gaeilge Fidil Ghorm and David Keenan – Words on Canvas, bringing the beauty of the Irish language to LA audiences. Our Oscar-shortlisted shorts, including Room Taken and Clodagh, showcase some of the most exciting emerging talent, while documentaries like Mrs. Robinson and Eat/Sleep/Cheer/Repeat offer compelling real-life stories that captivate and inspire. We’ll host panel discussions with industry leaders, filmmaker Q&As, and networking events, all continuing CIACLA’s mission of connecting Irish artists with opportunities in LA.
While we’ve achieved so much since founding CIACLA in 2019, we are still searching for a permanent home in LA. A dedicated space would allow us to expand our programming, host more events, and provide year-round support for Irish artists.All we need now is a generous patron, maybe someone with a beautiful building on Sunset Blvd just waiting to become LA’s home for Irish arts! But even without a physical building, we’ve become a nomadic home for the Irish, ensuring that Ireland’s artistic voice is heard loud and clear in LA.
The Irish Film Festival Los Angeles 2025, presented by CIACLA will run over St Patrick's Weekend, March 14-16th at Laemmle Monica Film Center - find out more here.
