Who We Are

Debbie’s background is in Journalism  and Documentary making. She won an Emmy and a Royal Television Society award as a Documentary Director.

She then went on to be an Exec Producer in BBC Documentaries and a freelance Executive  Producer  making programmes for BBC and Channel 4 including Current Affairs,Specialist Factual series, Wildlife,BBC2’s coverage of the Edinburgh Festivals and award winning Drama shorts. She also chairs the Scottish Documentary Institute.

She lives in Edinburgh less than half a mile from Summerhall.

Colin oversees finance, guiding both the Board and staff on day-to-day financials and long-term strategy.

Beyond his professional career, he has dedicated his skills to voluntary Finance Director roles with Scotland’s Skiing and Yachting governing bodies and is a former mentor in the E-Spark entrepreneur scheme.

Now running his own finance consultancy, Colin supports a select portfolio of businesses and charities. His greatest passion is his family, and when he’s not spending time with them, you’ll most likely find him out on the water, sailing.

Emma currently serves as the Projects and Engagement Officer at the Hugo Burge Foundation.

Previously, she was awarded funding from the Scottish Graduate School of Arts and Humanities to lead the “Border Abbeys: Re-told” research project with Historic Environment Scotland, which explored cultural heritage sites as sources for creative inspiration. She also hosted the research podcast “Beyond the Books”.

Emma  grew up in a Persian-Armenian and queer household in California and sees the arts as an essential platform for fostering meaningful connections between people and cultures.

Becca works at the Traverse Theatre on their producing and programming team, leading on Traverse Theatre Company productions, creative engagement activities and their flagship education project, Class Act.

She has worked in arts venues and festivals in roles ranging FOH, box office, finance, administration, producing & programming with South Street Arts Centre, New Diorama & the Traverse. She also runs fringe theatre company, Intrepid Fools.

You can find her sipping a coffee in the Summerhall cafe or supping a beer in the Royal Dick.

Leila works for the Edinburgh International Festival year-round in the Digital Team.
 
She regularly performs with the Aurora Ensemble, an Edinburgh-based orchestra dedicated to platforming music by underrepresented composers.
 
In her free time she loves to cook Persian, Middle Eastern and Indian food for her friends and family.

Neil has worked in the College sector for over 25 years and is the Head of The School of Art & Design at Edinburgh College.

He initially specialised in art therapy at Gogarburn and Royal Edinburgh Hospitals. Whilst continuing to create and exhibit he also developed a career as an Artist Educator gaining a Post Graduate Teaching Qualification from the University of Dundee.

Neil is knowledgeable and passionate about the transformative power of the arts, creative education, and making arts education accessible to all.

Marcus Pickering is the founder of Pickering’s Gin and a dedicated trustee of Summerhall Arts charity.

With a passion for creativity and innovation, he played a key role in transforming Summerhall into a vibrant cultural hub. Drawing on his entrepreneurial experience, Marcus supports the charity’s mission to nurture the arts and community engagement.

His commitment to heritage, craftsmanship, and local enterprise continues to shape both Pickering’s Gin and the broader cultural landscape of Edinburgh.

Nancy leads Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland (ACHWS), a national network linking together, advocating for and supporting those working at the interface of arts, culture, health and wellbeing in Scotland.
 
Nancy is a marketing, communications and stakeholder management specialist and has over 30 years of experience in the arts and culture sector from grassroots community practice to national companies and international festivals including Scottish Ballet and Royal Edinburgh Military Tatto

She is also on the National Centre for Creative Health Advisory Group, Healing Arts Scotland Legacy Leadership Group and the UK & Ireland Arts and Health Networks Forum.

Jonathan is a senior partner at Scottish law firm Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP and previously served on the firm’s management board for almost 15 years.

He is also the current Europe, Middle East and Asia Chair of Interlaw Ltd’s real estate group.

Jonathan is a former volunteer with the Princes Trust Youth Business Scheme and a keen fundraiser for a variety of charities.

He is married with two daughters and in his spare time enjoys squeezing in the occasional run.