MEET THE BOARD
OUR BOARD MEMBERS & TRUSTEES
FIONA
CATHCART
FESTIVAL TREASURER
Fiona is local to Pittenweem and enjoys doing private accounting and running the shop which she and her late sister opened 30 years ago.
Fiona enjoys walking the dog and spending time with her 2 grandchildren. She also enjoys reading and doing crosswords.
DOUGI
MCMILLAN
FESTIVAL CHAIRPERSON
Dougi is a freelance photographer with over two decades of experience in the creative industries. A master's graduate of DJCAD, he has a strong background in project managing, planning, and organising events and festivals at both local and national levels. Dougi is also an accomplished musician with extensive experience in music production, having run a successful studio and collaborated with numerous bands. Based in Lower Largo, Dougi maintains a busy schedule as a creative professional.
SCOTT
COCHRANE
FESTIVAL SECRETARY
Scott was formerly a solicitor. He now spends quite a lot of time doing admin for his artist wife and helping her at art fairs and exhibitions.
ANNE
BARCLAY
Anne, a graduate of DJCAD, is a local artist who co-founded Ovenstone studios which has provided working spaces for artists and makers for over 20 years.
She has participated in the Arts Festival exhibiting at her studio. Anne finds her inspiration for her seascapes from the East Neuk and from journeys to the West of Scotland. Her work is in private collections throughout the world.
SHELLEY
JUPITUS
Throughout life, Shelley’s career has always required her to deliver projects and set deadlines. Within this she has coordinated multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring good relations amongst a diverse range of people of different ages, identities, beliefs and cultures.
Since relocating to glorious Pittenweem and completing her BA in Fine Art Shelley has been working as an artist and printmaker.
KENY
DREW
Keny Drew has been working as an artist in several fields including stained glass, music and photography for the last 20 years and is a founding member of the East Neuk arts collective JAMP.
JULIE
ARBUTHNOTT
Julie is an experienced business leader and consultant. She focuses on supporting transformation and change across a variety of industries. She has over 30 years’ experience in business strategy, digital, service design, branding and marketing, culture and behaviour change.
Julie is also passionate about her creative pursuits and is a keen artist, dressmaker and DIYer. When not in her studio in Pittenweem, she can be found in her hiking boots exploring the hills of Scotland.
CAROLYN
MCNEISH
Carolyn is a freelance HR Consultant with over 30 years' experience of helping organisations, teams and individuals to be the best version of themselves.
Working with clients across public and private sectors she has applied her HR expertise to a number of interesting and challenging projects.
Carolyn enjoys the fabulous opportunities for outdoor pursuits in the East Neuk including jogging and sea kayaking.
ABIGAIL
THOMSON
Abi Thomson has worked in the field of event and operations management for over 25 years, gaining much of her experience at the world-renowned Scottish Event Campus where she worked on the team developing the Hydro and lead on major events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the MOBO Awards, the World Gymnastics Championships, as well as high profile concerts, conferences and theatre shows. A real problem-solver with excellent people skills, Abi now works at the University of St Andrews in Residential Services following a move to the East Neuk in 2024.
JULIE
BROOKS
Julie is a resident of Pittenweem, a passionate advocate for the local community, and a lifelong enthusiast of the creative arts. As a dedicated patron and supporter of the Arts Festival, she has hosted a venue in PIttenweem for over 15 years, directly connecting artists with visitors during the event.
Professionally, Julie serves as the Director of Postgraduate Studies at the University of St Andrews Business School. Since 2005, she has led student experience enhancement, global marketing, and international recruitment strategy for the School.
She brings extensive cross-sector leadership to the board, having worked across the private, public, and NGO sectors in both the UK and overseas. Her background includes a senior role in Scottish local government, alongside seven years living and working in Moscow, where she focused on economic development.
An expert in marketing and management, Julie’s academic interests centre on consumer behaviour, corporate social responsibility, and public and voluntary sector management. She holds an MBA from the University of Edinburgh and a BA from Cornell University. Julie combines her professional expertise in marketing and governance with her firsthand experience as a festival host to support the continued growth and cultural vibrancy of the festival.
GRAHAM
MITCHELL
Graham, is a Chartered Surveyor, with over 35 years of involvement in property related projects and business interests covering both commercial and residential property. He has experience in strategy through various board and chair roles, delivering change and providing oversight to financial arrangements. Graham is an amateur artist who through local connections has attended the Arts Festival over many years and is passionate about the East Neuk of Fife.
SARAH
GLEN
Sarah has worked in publishing since moving to the East Neuk in 2025. Previously, she worked across events sales and operations management.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys cold water swimming, walking the Fife Coastal Path and learning to knit.
ALAN
HOOD
A UK ticketing industry pioneer, Alan delivered the digital technology powering sport and live entertainment’s biggest names. As a board member of Pittenweem Arts Festival, he’s traded digital queues for garden sheds and champions the simple idea that art belongs to everyone, no ticket required.
Based in the East Neuk, he is always keen to chat with visitors about what has caught their eye around the village.
WHAT OUR
BOARD DOES
Our Board is responsible for our governance. This means they’re in charge of our direction and effectiveness, supervising what we do, and keeping us accountable. They are also great at rolling their sleeves up, as they are operationally responsible for making sure that the Festival happens each year!
We’re lucky to have a board of 13, from a range of backgrounds. They are unpaid volunteers with a wide range of specialisms means they’re well-placed to provide expert support, helping us to provide the best community arts event possible. We also have one part-time employee who administrates the Festival, and we pay for additional staff across the period of the Festival itself.
FAIR WORK FIRST
Pittenweem Arts Festival is committed to advancing the Fair Work First criteria, specifically:
1. We have an appropriate channel for effective employee voice
- We engage in constructive dialogue with our employees to address workplace issues and disputes.
- Employees are offered supportive contact with their Line Manager.
- We have measures in place to support employees in the workplace and have zero tolerance of bullying and other forms of abuse and harassment.
2. We invest in workforce development
- We are committed to creating a workforce who embrace new ways of working and are committed to making a difference.
- We provide learning opportunities for employees.
- We provide volunteering opportunities for young people during the annual Pittenweem Arts Festival.
- Learning is offered and encouraged across the workforce, relating to specific roles as well as wider development.
- We conduct thorough post-festival staff and volunteer feedback surveys to shape future policy and practices.
3. We do not use zero-hours contracts inappropriately
- Temporary staff are provided with a contract detailing a minimum number of hours.
- We do not use supply and casual contracts to fill longer-term vacancies.
4. We take action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace
- We gather data to understand our workforce diversity and pay gap information
- We support flexible working.
- We offer employees the opportunity to adopt a Blended Work style; a blend of working from home and in the Festival Office.
- If an employee receives a short time-frame terminal diagnosis, we will work with them to consider how we manage an appropriate outcome.
- We offer flexible and family-friendly working practices for all workers from day one of employment, including part-time and term-time working arrangements
5. We commit to paying the Real Living Wage
- We are an accredited Living Wage employer.
- We support the initiative for to Fife to become a Living Wage region.
6. We oppose the use of fire and rehire practice
- We only consider effecting change where there is a legitimate need.
- We strive to achieve change through agreement.
- We are committed to ensuring there is effective consultation and negotiation relating to change.