Meet the Team
Nisha Tandon
Director
Nisha Tandon born in India came to settle in Northern Ireland about thirty years ago with a degree from the National School of Drama in New Delhi. As a keen dancer and promoter of Indian culture in Northern Ireland, Nisha possessed the tenacity to cross barriers into unknown communities and situations and used the power of the arts as a basis to start a conversation and develop relationships. Today, this has transcended into an intrinsic understanding of the minority ethnic and locally deprived communities in Northern Ireland, which is reflected in her current work.
Prior to working in the community and art sectors, Nisha developed her passion for cookery to become co-founder and managing director of Faraway Foods Ltd. This company specialised in the sale of ethnic food products and was the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, supported by Invest NI. She left working in the private sector to pursue a career in the arts becoming Arts Development Officer for the Indian Community Centre and rapidly progressed the centre into a hub for cultural and arts activity, creating access for the wider community and raising the regional profile of the Indian community.
In 2006, Nisha conceptualised ArtsEkta, the first arts organistion in Ireland to promote ethnic arts, with the financial assistance of social entrepreneurship charity UnLtd. Under ArtsEkta she developed the Belfast Mela, now Northern Ireland’s largest multi-cultural festival. In 2010, Nisha was appointed Director of ArtsEkta, now managing a team of five staff and continuing to position ArtsEkta as the region’s leading and largest ethnic arts organisation.
Sean Seamus O'Hara
Administration & Finance Manager
Profile coming soon.
Krishan Tandon
Events & Marketing Manager
Krishan holds a first class honours degree in Accountancy and masters in Management from Queens University. He is currently working towards a diploma with the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He has worked with ArtsEkta as a volunteer since its inception, with particular focus on driving the development of the company’s three annual events. In 2009, Krishan was employed as a freelance events and marketing manager for ArtsEkta, managing all aspects of the company's events strategy.
Through this role he also assists with business development through bids for local, regional and European funds and contracts, aswell as providing support for the strategic development of the company.
Niamh Flanagan
Programme Co-Ordinator – Cultural Coach
Niamh holds an honours degree in Public Administration and Policy from Manchester Metropolitan University and a postgraduate diploma in Information Management from Queens University. She also has a mastery foundation in Conflict Resolution. Niamh has over 20 years experience in a variety of project co-ordination, information, development & communications and management roles within the arts, community and voluntary sectors.
Previous employment has included Dance United NI, Dance Resource Base, Community Arts Forum; South Tyrone Empowerment Programme; Feile an Phobail, Upper Springfield Development Trust, Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide (PIPS) and West Belfast Economic Forum.
