Joanne Cusack

Dr Joanne Cusack is a researcher, musician, and FairPlé activist. She is a first-class honours graduate of Dundalk Institute of Technology with specialisation in performance and holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Maynooth University. Joanne began lecturing for the Department in September 2017, coordinating and delivering modules on musicology, ethnomusicology, gender and sexuality studies, and performance. In 2018, she was awarded the "Postgraduate Student Teaching Award" from Maynooth University in recognition of excellence in postgraduate student teaching activities. Prior to the commencement of her doctoral research, Joanne was offered three different scholarships including the John Hume scholarship and Graduate Teaching Studentship from Maynooth University, and a doctoral research scholarship from Dundalk Institute of Technology. Her research interests include identity studies, feminist musicology, applied ethnomusicology, popular music studies, and Irish traditional music.

Aside from research, Joanne has an active record as a professional Irish traditional musician having performed both nationally and internationally including a tour of North America and performances in Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Spain and England representing Ireland at International Folk Dance Festivals.

Joanne is also a co-founder of the volunteer feminist grassroots organisation, FairPlé. FairPlé, meaning “fair discussion” was founded to achieve gender balance in the production, performance, promotion, and development of Irish traditional and folk music. As an activist, Joanne has organised and been invited to speak at several events including most notably before the Oireachtas Joint Committee to discuss a safe and respectful working environment for the arts in October 2021. She has also worked on a number of policies and documents pertaining to equity and safety including an anti-harassment policy, bystander guidelines, and a resource and support document for sexual harassment — some of which were created in collaboration with Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and sister organisation, Safe Arts of Ireland. More recently, in May 2023, Joanne acted as a consultant on the development, distribution, and advertisement of Safe To Create’s new “Report + Support” initiative (in connection with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media). 

Joanne currently coordinates and delivers modules on performance, and works as an executive assistant for the Department of Music. In May 2024, Joanne was shortlisted for the Maynooth University "Public Engagement Awards" for her research and work as an activist.