Board of Trustees

Geoffrey Stevenson
Geoffrey is Chair of the Puppet State Board. He worked for 20 years as an actor, specialising in mime and physical theatre. He was Director of the Centre for Christian Communication at St Johns College, Durham University before coming to Edinburgh where he teaches preaching, media and communication at New College. He helps us stick to the agenda, understands well the life of the touring performer and in 2011 completed his PhD in homiletics and the development of preachers.

Cerin Richardson
Cerin Richardson is Learning and Participation Manager at Festival City Theatre’s Trust and has led on numerous arts education projects at Imaginate Children’s Theatre Festival and at City of Edinburgh Council. Cerin is great at spotting opportunities for integrated arts-led learning and has helped us develop our education resources.

Timothy Brink
Timothy recently stepped down as manager of the Demeter Certification Scheme of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association. For 25 years he was a biodynamic farmer at the Copake Camphill Community in the Hudson River Valley of New York State and at the Loch Arthur Camphill Community Farm in Southwest Scotland. His refined understanding of group dynamics is an asset to the Board.

Jennifer Williams
Jennifer is Projects and Engagement Coordinator at the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Academic Development having previously worked as Programme Manager at the Scottish Poetry Library and Literary Officer at the Traverse Theatre and has been active as a director and producer on Edinburgh’s cabaret and performance poetry scene since 2001. She brought arts administration skills to Puppet State during their period of incorporation and was invited to join the Board in 2010. She is also an accomplished poet whose recent collections ‘Condition of Fire’ and ‘Locust and Marlin’ are published by Shearsman Books.

Prize-winning playwright, screen writer and theatre director Zinnie Harris was a valuable member of the board at its inception and stepped down in 2010.

Fearless arts producer Chloë Dear stepped down from the board in 2012 when she took up her job coordinating Ice Fest at Christchurch City Council and moved to New Zealand.

Phyllis Steel of Inclusion Matters brought a wealth of experience from her work as artistic director or producer for festivals, touring companies and high-profile events. She founded Giant Productions in 1989 and was Specialist Advisor on Equalities for the former Scottish Arts Council. Well before Puppet State even had a board, Phyllis’s wise counsel kept us on an even keel.