We are delighted to welcome new faces to Manipulate Arts team this autumn.
Meet Ciara Roe, an arts administrator and project manager with a background in film exhibition who joins us as Company and Projects Administrator.
With a Masters in Film, Exhibition, and Curation from the University of Edinburgh, her academic focus on animation, grassroots activism and community empowerment has been a consistent theme throughout her career. Ciara worked in multiple roles at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse, progressing from Front of House to Operations Administrator, and ultimately to Building and Office Operations Manager.
Ciara has also co-programmed events for major festivals, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh Short Film Festival and Glasgow Film Festival. Passionate about animation and widening community access to art and culture, she spends her spare time crafting through embroidery, felting, and linocutting.
Meet Siobhan Clark, a creative producer based in Edinburgh with a specialism in festivals and artist development who joins us as Producer on an interim basis until the end of March.
Over the past 15 years, Siobhan has delivered a wide range of performance and engagement projects across Scotland, the UK and internationally. In recent years, she has worked with the Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Lau-Land, Hidden Door and the Festival of Illustration.
Siobhan has also produced a diverse collection of community engagement programmes and artist development projects. Currently Siobhan is delivering a music composition and CPD project for high school pupils in Methil. For Manipulate Arts, she will lead on the delivery of the 2025 Festival and continuing Captivate programme.
Meet Graham Webster, a marketing and communications specialist who has worked with a wide range of organisations across Scotland and joins us as a Marketing Manager on a freelance basis towards delivery of our 2025 Festival.
Most recently, this has involved coordinating campaigns at the 77th Edinburgh International Film Festival, and producing for in-house short films and media at National Museums Scotland.
Other projects have included leading on the creative and campaign for the UK stage premiere of Who Killed My Father, presented by surrogate productions and based on the book by Édouard Louis; and supporting Storytelling PR with marketing for the UK stage premieres of work from Chamäleon Berlin (Julieta, Show Pony), andQuiet Riot (Batshit, Little Squirt).
And we welcome back Colin Bell, joining us for the third year as our freelance Festival Production Manager.
Colin is a writer and production manager with over 20 years experience across the live entertainment and theatre world. He has previously worked with the National Theatre of Scotland, the Edinburgh Mela, RCS and the BBC amongst many others.
Main Image credit : Geraldine Heaney