Gillian Easson

Executive Director @Creative Dundee

Co-Founder and Executive Director of Creative Dundee, an organisation which centres creative communities as powerful catalysts for collective good. Working locally and internationally, Creative Dundee has an active online platform, events programme and works closely in partnership with others to nurture the city’s vibrant creative community. Our Amps supporters are central to our work, a community of people who make and cultivate creativity in Dundee. A lack of space is limiting the growth of Dundee’s creative economy - our Hapworks project aims to change this through collective action. Access and inclusion are rooted in all we do - core to our digital platforms and our social and climate justice projects. Creative Dundee led the development of Dundee’s first Creative Industries Strategy, co-designed with the sector; we produce the 99 Things to See and Do in Dundee crowdsourced city guide; and run the largest PechaKucha Nights in the UK (cover image: Holly Quinn We led the development of the digital platform, We Dundee which enabled thousands of residents to crowd power the city’s cultural identity and share their sense of belonging and collective pride in the city. Creative Dundee was also part of the core bid team for the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design, Dundee.Connecting with creative networks across the UK and internationally, Creative Dundee has been the UK co-lead on the European Creative Hubs Network and co-wrote the Creative HubKit commissioned by British Council.Responsibilities include designing a diverse portfolio of programmes; managing strategic and contractual relationships; leading the team; disseminating the organisation’s value, outputs and impacts; financial planning and budget management; and securing mixed income sources through grant fundraising, trading services and partnership opportunities.