Meet the Trustees
Ailsa Mackay – Interim Chair / Secretary
Joined Board 2024
Ailsa is a senior creative leader with over three decades of experience operating at the intersection of the arts, research, policy, and education. A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, she has established a successful career as a professional artist, designer, programme director, and strategic advisor. Her creative portfolio includes internationally licensed design work across fashion, interiors, and lifestyle products, with clients and collections represented in the UK, USA, Australia, and Germany. Alongside this commercial success, Ailsa maintains a vibrant personal art practice. Her work has been widely exhibited and is held in private collections nationally and internationally. Currently based in Dumfries and Galloway, Ailsa combines her creative practice with a leadership role in resilience research and knowledge exchange. As Programme and Research Centre Manager at the National Centre for Resilience, University of Glasgow, she specialises in climate adaptation, behavioural change, and community resilience, with a particular focus on creative methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration. She has co-authored research addressing resilience in vulnerable populations and is committed to using arts-based approaches to support public engagement, wellbeing, and sustainable development. Ailsa’s professional expertise spans complex programme delivery, strategic planning, and cross-sector partnership development. She has led multi-agency initiatives across academic, public, and third-sector contexts, aligning policy with practice through innovative, evidence-led approaches. Her leadership includes operational and resource management, systems implementation, and capacity building across diverse teams and communities. In her role as Chair of DG Unlimited, Ailsa brings a deep understanding of the creative sector’s potential to drive social, cultural, and economic transformation. She is dedicated to advocating for the value of the arts in public life and to strengthening the infrastructure and visibility of Dumfries and Galloway’s creative community at regional and national levels.
Yvonne Barber – Treasurer
Joined the board, 2022, Treasurer 2022
Yvonne has been involved in the arts since her teenage years. She began her arts career with Knowsley Youth Theatre in Liverpool. Before starting her teaching career, Yvonne worked with several theatre-in-education companies and also sang in a band for over 20 years. As a qualified further education teacher, she has taught adults in performing arts within a variety of educational and workshop settings. Yvonne studied at Drama School in her native Liverpool for three years and performed on stage at the Everyman and Playhouse Theatres. Yvonne is a post-graduate in Educational Management and has over 25 years of experience as a leader education, with ten years at Wigan and Leigh College in a leadership role as Head of Construction – experience which turned out to be essential as she oversaw the major works to expand and refurbish A’ The Airts during the pandemic in 2020/2021! Since 2017 and to date, Yvonne enjoys leading a large diverse team of employees and volunteers as Community Arts Centre Manager for A’ the Airts in Sanquhar. As the Centre Manager, Yvonne is responsible for the management of the team and the overall operations of the Community Arts Centre including the programming of all events, cafe, and the community and arts programs as well as teaching employability skills. She has extensive experience in fundraising. Yvonne also runs the A’ the Airts Youth Theatre and has a talent and heartfelt passion for working with and engaging with a diverse range of members of the community, especially the youngest members of the community. Her love of working with community is demonstrated by the high regard in which she is held by the people and communities in Upper Nithsdale, especially the staff and pupils of the primary and secondary schools and a host of charities and community groups. Yvonne brings her financial acumen, management skills, and leadership experience and her strong community development skills to her role as a valued Treasurer and Trustee for DG Unlimited.
Cynthia Moore – Vice Chair
Joined the Board, 2024
With over 20 years of experience, including working in global STEM organisations, managing large Business Transformation Programmes as Programme Manager, as well as running her own business, Cynthia has learnt about Strategy, Transformation & Leadership excellence from different perspectives. She now brings that wealth of experience to her work as an Executive & Business Coach and Strategy Consultant. As part of her work, Cynthia has been supporting small and medium enterprises (SME’s) across the South of Scotland with their business development; creating new revenue streams, increasing profitability and helping create sustainable business models. Cynthia has also been involved with charitable works for Business Captain with XForces Enterprise, supporting Service Leavers and Veterans in starting their own business.
Jonathan (Yoni) Bentovim
Joined the Board, 2024
Yoni is a film director based in London. His films, spanning documentary and fiction, have been programmed worldwide at festivals and for television broadcast, including Channel 4, France 3, SBS, RTP, The Guardian online, Victoria and Albert Museum, Barbican, NY Anthology Film Archives. His accolades include official selections and awards at internationally acclaimed film festivals including Tribeca, Montreal, Docaviv, Alchemy, Aspen shorts, Winterthur, Cameraimage , Raindance, East End, Split, Munich, Imago, Cinemajove, Fest Tous Courts, Sao Paulo and Los Angeles Film Festival. Jonathan teaches experimental film and media at The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.
Dionne Braham
Joined the Board, 2024
Dionne is a dynamic and creative facilitator of change with a passion for developing transformational organisations, communities and leaders. Having studied Education and Drama as an undergraduate, creativity has always been an intrinsic part of her consultancy practice and delivery. Using the arts as a learning medium, Dionne intends that her training is a memorable experience and not simply a series of knowledgeable moments. Alongside this Dionne also holds a Master of Science degree in Combined Psychology (clinical & behavioural) with over 25 years’ experience of delivering courses that create opportunities for people to expand thinking, growing new possibilities and create practical, emergent strategies that enable sustainable change. Her commitment to the area of equity and inclusion infuses her work and her approach is influenced by the works of Paulo Freire, Audre Lorde and Bell Hooks, amongst others. Dionne has recently returned to her love of ceramics and is excited about moving back into the creative world.
Steven Burnie
Joined the board: 2024
Steven is Grey’s School of Art alumni and an established visual artist with a studio in Dumfries. He has a role with Turning Point Scotland, leading a team of artists to deliver workshops and one-to-one sessions to vulnerable adults and young people who have complex needs. This role includes several responsibilities, such as, project monitoring and evaluation, ensuring outcomes, meet funding criteria, recruiting/interviewing, supporting and developing staff, establishing and growing partnerships and cross-sector partnerships. Steven has a strong network of contacts in the creative sector Dumfries and Galloway.
Paul Denney
Joined the Board, 2024
Paul is a senior special effects designer in the film and live events industries and a former District Councillor from Stroud in Gloucestershire. In 2014 Paul designed, built, installed, and operated all the winter special effects for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Russian winter Olympics in Sotchi. Paul also designed effects for the 2018 film “Blade Runner 2049” which won the BAFTA and the Oscar for best Visual Effects. Paul describes himself as a creative engineer who uses his knowledge of electronics and engineering to create the magic of the silver screen. His role with Stroud District Council as vice chair of the Environment committee saw the council become the first and only local authority in Europe to become carbon neutral in its operations. Paul is passionate about the Film and TV production industry and is keen to promote it in Scotland in general, and in D&G in particular. Paul also has a passion for sustainability, renewable energy and the environment. Paul moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 2020 and lives just outside Dumfries with his wife and youngest son.
Lucy Lee
Joined the board, 2024
Lucy is an artist and runs a creative business, The Old Mill in Palnackie. In the building is a gallery space and bookshop as well as a studio where they facilitate regular workshops on making ‘sustainable’ art materials with a focus on nature connection and cultural heritage. She completed a BA (Hons) in ceramics in 2006, however this is no longer her medium. She worked several internships and volunteer roles, both in the UK and abroad in arts organisations amongst others. She has worked and continues to work with people with complex support needs and hopes to provide a creative supportive service in the future. She has experience in working one to one with autistic people in need of support, people with chronic fatigue and chronic pain, people with mental health challenges and people with learning differences. Although her main focus is the business, she continues to have part time roles and volunteer within this area.
Julian Watson
Joined the board, 2018
With a degree in Fine Art (history and practice) from Leeds University and a subsequent diploma in Picture Conservation, Julian became Exhibitions Officer for the Art Department in Belfast’s Ulster Museum. Responsible for a very wide range of contemporary exhibitions as well as hanging the Museum’s permanent art collections, he was also a Board Member with the Irish Museums Association. Progressing to freelance exhibition work in locations across Ireland, and becoming Chair of Belfast’s dynamic, learning-based Crescent Arts Centre, Julian has developed strategic understanding and experience with activity at the tension point between contemporary arts practice and the heritage requirements of museums. Returning to Scotland in 2004, he taught final-year students in Media and Imaging, Duncan and Jordanstone, Dundee, was on the team restoring Phoebe Anna Traquair’s extraordinary cycle of murals in Edinburgh’s Mansfield Place Church and a Board Member of the Institute of Conservation – ICON (Scotland). Julian’s work transitioned to encompass the “total economics” of restoring historic buildings for new purposes, encompassing the benefits and challenges of such endeavours. This also included land management, social surveying, archiving, exhibitions and programming associated with these projects. Currently, he works as a freelance consultant in the Third Sector and Community spheres in Scotland and beyond, sometimes operating independently but most frequently collaborating with others. Julian’s role within the DG Unlimited Board is as a strategic advisor, particularly in the areas of heritage and the arts as culture, and the development of cultural projects in this region.
Frank Hayes – Currently on compassionate leave.
Joined the board, 2020, Joint Chair 2022 – 2023, Chair 2023 – 2025
Frank has broad and varied experience as an artist, photographer, illustrator and environmentalist as well as being the founder and Creative Director of For Enjoyment CIC. He has been working within the arts as an educator and leader in Dumfries and Galloway for the last 15 years. Through this work, Frank has seen much success and recognition, including winning the DG Life Community Champion Award. He is committed to nurturing the artistic ability within everyone and improving mental and social health, confidence and well-being through the power of art and creativity. He has developed productive partnerships with many organisations in the region and throughout Scotland. Frank is the Art in Nature guide for Tribe Fortune, health and well-being retreats encouraging participants to be creatively inspired by the natural beauty in our region for their health and well-being. He was previously the Creative Programme Coordinator for DG Creative Well-being, Outpost Arts, working to enhance the well-being of patients, staff, and visitors with a comprehensive Arts programme. Frank is alumni of the Leaders Unlimited Programme 2020/2021. Frank is currently on compassionate leave but remains a valued member of our Board of Trustees.
If you are interested in becoming a Trustee, please contact us comms.dgu@gmail.com.
If you’d like to learn more about who we are as an organisation and how we operate, have a look at our Policies and Governance page here.