We are so pleased to welcome our four newly appointed board members, Moira Anne McAuslan, Ben Torrie, Kevin Withane and Tina Walsberger to the Puppet Animation Scotland team!
They bring with them an incredible range of skills, experiences, perspectives and ideas, and will be invaluable in helping us to chart a course for Puppet Animation Scotland at this exciting and challenging time of change. You can read more about them all below.
Moira Anne McAuslan (pictured far left)
Moira Anne McAuslan is an actor and workshop facilitator based in Glasgow, who also works as Transitions Officer for Deaf Roots & Pride (DRP) with the British Deaf Assocation (BDA) Scotland. In 2019 she performed “The Long View” by Jackie Kay in front of HRH The Queen to commemorate 20 years of the New Scottish Parliament. She delivered a TEDx Talk at the University of Strathclyde called ‘My Journey’, an exploration of the barriers both visible and invisible on her journey to become an actor. Moira’s theatre credits include: Extraordinary wall of Silence (Ad Infinitum) The Arrival (Solar Bear), Dream On! (BBC Arts Live), Humans of Deaf Humans (Ciaran Alexander Stewart), Last Woman Left (RCS), Mirrors (NHS Glasgow), Clowning Around (Surge).
Ben Torrie (pictured middle left)
Ben is Director of Programming and Creative Projects for Aberdeen Performing Arts, one of Scotland’s largest cultural organisations and a hub for the performing arts in the North-east of Scotland. He is responsible for the programmes of work at His Majesty’s Theatre, the Music Hall and The Lemon Tree, as well as the company’s ever-expanding produced work, creative engagement activity, and technical team. Having previously worked for Puppet Animation Scotland as general manager, he is delighted to be reconnecting with the organisation as a member of the board. He will shortly end his tenure as a board member of the Federation of Scottish Theatre and has also recently been appointed to the board of Lyth Arts Centre in Caithness. Ben loves spending time with his two young children, playing the piano, and good food (in large quantities!).
Tina Walsberger (pictured far right)
Tina is the Marketing & Communications Director at Edinburgh International Festival, a world-leading performing arts festival that takes place every August featuring 2500+ artists each year. Responsible for brand, digital, communications, and ticketing, Tina works with many of the world’s most important artists and companies. Tina has an exceptional track record of exceeding sales targets, building strong brands and motivated teams who balance long-term strategy with highly effective integrated sales campaigns. During her career she was voted #15 Most Powerful Women in Australian Media. In her free time, Tina is an adventurer, having scaled mountains in the Himalayas, been diving at the Great Barrier Reef, and volunteered for a humanitarian project in South India. Tina graduated from Oxford Brookes University and Regensburg UAS with a German/English bilingual degree in European Business and now enjoys lecturing and speaking on topics of Marketing and Leadership.
Kevin Withane (pictured middle right)
Kevin Withane is a purpose-led senior lawyer and ethics and compliance executive. He has gained experience working across non-profits, quasi-governmental organizations, at a regulator, in international law firms, SMEs and at a global public listed company. Kevin has lived and worked in the UK, China, Hong Kong, Russia and the United States as well as traveling extensively across Europe and Asia where he has gained deep insights into the shift towards human leadership and the demand for business to align their purpose with making the world a better place – for everyone. Human leadership and purpose are intersecting at a moment in time when the world needs it most. Kevin is passionate about helping build positive work cultures with strong climates of integrity, and supporting companies become truly diverse and inclusive. Kevin is also host of the Cocktail Leadership podcast.