We have a Board of Trustees who ensure strategic oversight of Hidden Door’s events and activities. They are responsible for making sure we deliver on our charitable aims, that we comply with all the requirements placed on us, and help oversee the smooth running of the charity and our festivals.
Our Board members are:
Jane is Professor in Festival and Event Management at Napier University, and is a pracademic providing festival and event education, training, research and consultancy to this exciting sector.
Stephen is a learning and engagement consultant working across a range of cultural and heritage organisations. He is an experienced senior museum professional having previously worked for National Museums Scotland and the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Julie Louise is an artist, curator and writer who has developed and delivered arts programmes in directorship, curatorial and executive roles in arts organisations in England, Québec, Northern Ireland and Australia. She has undertaken a wide range of consultancies on cultural regeneration, public art and place-making projects and served in Arts Council juries and advisory committees in Québec and Northern Ireland. From 2012-2015, she was a Producer on Leeuwarden’s successful European Capital of Culture 2018 bid. Originally from North East England, she is currently a Lecturer in Art at Edinburgh College of Art.
Mark is Director of Venue at The Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland, bringing over 15 years of diverse experience in the events industry. His journey in this field has spanned various sectors, including sports, culture, television, and music. A postgraduate in Events Management from Glasgow, Mark’s career is adorned with contributions to major international events in cities like London, Mexico City, Santiago, Berlin, Rome, and Paris. Despite his global footprint, Mark’s dedication is deeply rooted in enhancing the Scottish events landscape.
Hermione is a keen follower of Edinburgh festivals and has attended Hidden Door since 2018. Bringing her experience as a media, technology and intellectual property lawyer, Hermione provides consultancy legal services to ecommerce, media and technology organisations. Previously, she worked at two major businesses, boo.com and Turner Broadcasting; and set up the mobile company, Three. Hermione teaches Company & Commercial law and leads IP and Tech law postgraduate courses at the University of Edinburgh.
Cameron is a freelance festivals and events professional who works in a multitude of roles on festivals, events, tours and activations across the UK and overseas. In addition to his freelance work, he sits on Edinburgh Napier’s Events Industry Advisory Board and is an advocate for sustainability and accessibility in the industry.
Jill Martin Boualaxai is an Edinburgh based artist and curator. As a founding member of Hidden Door, Jill has been instrumental in the development of the festival from its early beginnings in 2010, with a passion for fostering community within the arts, and creating meaningful support and opportunities for visual artists based in Scotland.
Formerly operations lead at the Edinburgh International Festival, John brings years of events production experience and contacts to the team.
Hannah is the Director for Development and Marketing at Edinburgh Science. She has over 20 years of fundraising and relationship/partnership development across Medicine & Science, Third Sector and Higher Education with a focus on Corporate Partnerships and stakeholder engagement.
Kostis Vrettos currently works as an National Community Events Manager at CodeBase. He has 10 years of experience within the tourism sector. Kostis had supported various public and private organisations to deliver events and festivals.