Our People

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Meet the people that make YTAS possible.

You can email any of the team using firstname@ytas.org.uk.

Staff

Kenny McGlashan Aug 2021 Youth Theatre Arts Scotland © photographer Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com 4048

Kenny McGlashan

Chief Executive Officer
Joined YTAS in: 2014
Kenny has worked as a director, tutor and arts manager since 2001, with a background in youth theatre and children’s theatre. Previously he worked in management roles as Associate Director at Scottish Youth Theatre, Education Manager of Catherine Wheels Theatre Company and Development Manager at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Kenny’s first breakout youth theatre role was as Obelix when he was twelve (the photos are hidden!). When he’s not working Kenny loves cooking, running, and gardening. He lives on the southside of Glasgow, with his wife, two kids and a cat called Colin.
Helen Bain Aug 2021 Youth Theatre Arts Scotland © photographer Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com 9867

Helen Bain

General Manager
Joined YTAS in: 2010
Since 1999 Helen has worked in arts, charitable and educational environments in Scotland and overseas. She thrives on providing a solid foundation upon which others can grow, flourish and achieve great things. Also an accredited coach, Helen is passionate about supporting and encouraging people to discover more about themselves and achieve their potential. She is a particular fan of interactive and site-specific theatre.
Catherine Makin Aug 2021 Youth Theatre Arts Scotland © photographer Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com 9977

Catherine Makin

Projects Producer
Joined YTAS in: 2017
Catherine has worked in a variety of theatre administration, project co-ordination and producing roles. She is particularly interested in festivals, new work and talent development. Prior to working with YTAS she was Artistic Administrator at the Traverse Theatre and has previously worked with companies including Underbelly and Old Vic New Voices.
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Hollie Wegner-Jaszkin

Communications & Marketing Manager
Joined YTAS in: 2019
After graduating in Modern European Languages and Festival Management, Hollie decided she’d much prefer working in the arts. She’s held a variety of marketing roles in the cultural sector, including as Marketing Manager at Museums Galleries Scotland and Marketing and Campaigns Manager at Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre. She likes nothing better than a nice piece of print or a lovely banner, and if you see a YTAS tweet with a musical theatre reference, she is almost certainly the guilty party. In her spare time she does a fair bit of prancing about on stage and acting in films, all whilst trying to maintain her Duolingo streak and organise two kids, two cats, and a husband.
Emma Barr YTAS Mon 14 March 2022 © photographer Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com 2402 scaled e1668433771432

Emma Barr

Sector Development Manager
Joined YTAS in: 2022
Emma has over 10 years’ experience working in the UK and Canada as a director and educator, specialising in making theatre for and with young people. With a background in applied theatre, she is particularly interested in how youth theatre can contribute to a young person’s sense of identity and creates a cultural community. Prior to working at YTAS she was the Associate Director at Prime Theatre in Swindon and has worked as a freelance artist for companies such as Pitlochry Festival Theatre, London Bubble, and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
Andy Catlin YTAS Tue 14 September 2021 1708 © photographer Andy Catlin www.andycatlin.com scaled e1668433919578

Andy Catlin

Marketing Coordinator
Joined YTAS in: 2016
Andy is also a freelance photographer and communications/marketing consultant whose recent clients include Sustrans, Cycling UK, National Museum of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University and University of Edinburgh. He previously worked as Marketing Manager at Edinburgh’s The Queen’s Hall and Traverse Theatre and Aberdeen’s The Lemon Tree.
Rachel Gorry, Administrator, Youth Theatre Arts Scotland

Rachel Gorry

Administrator
Joined YTAS in: 2022
Rachel has worked in a variety of roles within the theatre industry including front of house, box office and arts administration. She is passionate about all forms of the performing arts with particular interest in musical theatre. In her spare time, Rachel is an avid writer of short stories and is currently working on a longer piece.
YTAS Anthony Steel Wed 21 June 2023 4574

Anthony Steel

Membership Support Coordinator
Joined YTAS in: 2023
Having worked at Arts Council England for several years, Anthony is a keen proponent of the arts and loves to bang on about how important they are. His particular area of interest and experience, however, is in drama – he writes plays and screenplays in his spare time and used to do a fair bit of theatre directing too. He loves contemporary theatre that plays with form or structure, and wants to see more opportunities in the arts for people outside of big cities. He also loves TV, books, dogs and regular cups of tea.

Board members

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland is a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered with HMRC and a registered Scottish charity with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). The Board therefore serve as Company Directors and Charity Trustees. YTAS’s governing document is its YTAS Articles of Association.

The board meets four times a year as well as an additional strategy away day. The Board provides entrepreneurial and strategic leadership in pursuit of the organisation’s objectives as well as prudent and effective control, including assessment and management of risk.

Hazel Wotherspoon

Hazel Wotherspoon

Chair | Chief Executive, Regional Screen Scotland
Joined YTAS in: 2017
Hazel has over 25 years’ experience working in the arts as a practitioner, maker, programmer, project manager and producer. She has held Executive, Director and Board positions for a variety of cultural organisations including Heading Programming and Development for Arts and Theatres in Fife and Interim Directorship of the Federation of Scottish Theatre. Hazel is also a trained mentor and coach and an expert in funding development within the arts and culture sector. She is delighted to be a YTAS board member having worked with Kenny and the team on the National Festival of Youth Theatre, when it was hosted in Fife from 2010 to 2016.
Lisa Givens

Lisa Givens

Vice Chair | Chief Executive, Toonspeak Young People's Theatre
Joined YTAS in: 2019
Lisa has worked in participatory youth arts since 2005, and has a strong belief in the difference that the arts can make to the lives of children and young people. Lisa worked for a number of years as a youth theatre practitioner and director, and has since carried out creative learning and engagement roles within the Arts Development team at CultureNL, and in managing the Creative Learning department at Aberdeen Performing Arts. Her work has allowed her to develop a number of opportunities for children and young people across Scotland and engage with a range of families and communities through participatory arts. Lisa is delighted to be part of the board of YTAS, after almost a decade of attending events delivered by the team, and is excited about being part of a board which is active in inspiring so many young people through youth theatre.
Fergus McMillan

Fergus McMillan

Director | Head of Equality and Diversity, Skills Development Scotland
Joined YTAS in: 2021
Fergus is an experienced senior leader, and equality and diversity practitioner. He is currently employed at Skills Development Scotland, leading on equality and diversity strategy across service provision. Previously, Fergus was Chief Executive of LGBT Youth Scotland, where he witnessed first-hand the transformational impact that committed and skilled staff and volunteers can have working alongside people who might otherwise be disengaged or excluded as a result of structural inequality or prejudice. A career highlight came in 2019, when Fergus won the Inspirational Leader Award at the national Youth Work Awards, after being nominated by his team at LGBT Youth Scotland. Fergus continues to participate in sectors (youth, community, theatre) close to his heart, by volunteering as board member for YTAS.
Gillian Lithgow

Gillian Lithgow

Director | Depute CEO and National Programmes Director, YouthLink Scotland
Joined YTAS in: 2021
Gillian has been a community learning and development practitioner and manager for 30 years. She graduated from the YMCA George Williams College with a BA (Hons) Informal & Community Education in 1997 and has been employed by YouthLink Scotland since then. Gillian strongly believes that it is vital that youth work staff and volunteers are well trained, supported, and informed so that they in turn provide a quality service for the young people they work with.
Lydia Demaison

Lydia Demaison

Director | Deputy Director of HR, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Joined YTAS in: 2021
Lydia has over 20 years’ experience working within a human resources environment. She began her career in the charity sector, working with an organisation who provided respite care combined with outdoor activity holidays. Following this, Lydia relocated to Scotland and joined the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she has worked since 2003. Lydia studied drama at school and remembers well the confidence it gave her. She appreciates the skills young people develop as a result of participating in arts-based activities and the benefit these transferable skills offer in all aspects of life. Lydia is excited to be able to work with and support organisation, such as YTAS, that make these opportunities happen and support young people as they develop.
Marisa De Andrade

Marisa De Andrade

Director | Programme Director, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh
Joined YTAS in: 2021
Marisa is a Health Policy academic with a background in investigative and broadcast journalism and performing arts. She is currently employed by the University of Edinburgh as Programme Director for an innovative MSc by Research in Health Humanities and Arts; Associate Director for the Centre for Creative-Relational Inquiry; Programme Director for the PhD in Health in Social Sciences; and Co-Chair for the Counselling Psychotherapy and Applied Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Marisa has led ‘traditional’ public health research using ‘conventional’ approaches and methodologies, as well as creative and arts-informed projects linked to health policy and practice. In 2018, she was winner of The Health Foundation’s X Factor for Evidence for the Public’s Health, arguing for arts-based approaches and social connectivity as evidence in health and inequalities. Marisa has been passionate about the power of theatre for as long as she can remember. She has witnessed and experienced first-hand how youth theatre can transform lives, so she is delighted to be a member of the YTAS board.
Mhairi Gilmour

Mhairi Gilmour

Director | Arts Practitioner
Joined YTAS in: 2019
Mhairi graduated from New College Lanarkshire with an HND in Acting and Performance and also works for CultureNL as an Assistant Arts Tutor. She has recently finished her time with Airdrie Youth Theatre and Junior Conservatoire. YTAS first came to Mhairi’s attention when she took part in the New Territory young leaders’ development programme. Then in 2019 she had the opportunity to perform at the National Festival of Youth Theatre. Youth theatre has always been important to her as it’s where she found her love for drama and she believes that it is a brilliant way for young people to express themselves and make their voices heard. Mhairi feels like she has just started on her journey and is looking forward to what’s to come. She is excited to be part of YTAS.