Colin leads the Creative Learning and Young People (CLYP) team who oversee the delivery of targeted funding programmes and work in partnership with youth arts, education and third sector partners to advocate for, strengthen and realise the potential of culture as a transformative opportunity across society. This currently includes responsibility for the Youth Music Initiative, the National Youth Arts Strategy and Scotland’s Creative Learning Plan.
Originally seconded to Creative Scotland in 2013 to lead on the design of the implementation of Time the Shine, Colin has gone on to manage the full delivery of the programme which has supported several key initiatives including establishing the National Youth Arts Advisory Group and the youth-led Nurturing Talent Fund.
Previous to Creative Scotland, Colin was CEO of Youth Theatre Arts Scotland, where he worked over nine years to develop the scope, scale and profile of Scotland’s youth theatre sector. He established and led the Lyceum Youth Theatre in Edinburgh and has worked as a youth theatre director, producer and mentor for key national and international organisations including Eden Court Theatre, Perth Theatre, the Thorndike Young Peoples Theatre, Wimbledon Theatre, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Rogaland Theatre (Norway). He has also been on the boards of several youth and children’s theatre organisations and has worked as an assessor for the National Theatre (London) Connections programme.
