The passionate performers, dedicated office team, board of trustees, and ambassadors bringing smiles to hospital wards and care homes across Scotland.
Our Performers
Lucy McGreal
Lucy trained at Liverpool Hope University. Lucy is a Clown, collaborator and facilitator working with theatre companies in Scotland and Europe including Tenterhooks theatre company creating work for walkabout and young audiences.
Colin Moncrieff
Colin trained at the RSAMD in Glasgow and has worked as a performer across the UK for over 20 years. Colin persistently sings songs of fruit and vegetables with The Barrow Band and is a member of Tenterhooks Theatre Co. Colin has studied clowning with Angela De Castro, Pierre Byland and John Wright.
Hilde McKenna
Hilde studied music and drama at Glasgow University, and with teachers including Angela De Castro, Philippe Gaulier. She has performed with various companies including Plutot la Vie and Solar Bear and is involved as performer and facilitator with Loop Theatre.
Bec Phipps
Bec graduated with a B.A. in Communications (Theatre/Media) from Charles Stuart University in Australia. She has since studied with Philippe Gaulier and Angela de Castro. She has worked with Giant Productions, Te Pooka arts collective and Licketyspit theatre company.
Fiona Manson
Fiona trained at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Her work with Fish and Game theatre company, including The Polar Bears Go Wild, has been performed at Unicorn Theatre, Imaginate and Take Off theatre festivals. Fiona trained in clowning with Phillippe Gaulier and John Wright.
Fiona Ferrier
Fiona trained at Playspace Clown School, Sydney in 2002, and with Jos Houben, John Wright and Pierre Byland. Fiona has created clown shows in co-production with Mull Theatre and The Clown Conpsiracy, and is Co-Artistic Director of Dirliebane Theatre Company.
Nicholas Bone
Nick trained at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and subsequently with Anne Bogart, Magdalena Schamberger and Pierre Byland. He is Artistic Director of Magnetic North Theatre Productions and regularly with In The Making, a collective of dancers and performers.
Carmen Pieraccini
Carmen trained at Langside College and has worked in TV with BBC Scotland and STV. She has also appeared on stage as a member of various theatre companies in Scotland across the last 10 years. She joined Hearts & Minds as a Clowndoctor in 2009.
Sita Pieraccini
Sita is a performer and musician based in Glasgow. She studied sculpture at Edinburgh College of Art then went on to study physical theatre through The Adam Smith College, Fife. She has trained with Angela De Castro, The Actors Space and Theatre Ad Infintum.
Sheila MacDougall
Sheila is an Edinburgh-based freelance artist, performance maker, educator and facilitator. She is a member of In The Making, a collaborative site-specific movement based performance collective. Sheila has over thirty years’ experience in the practice of Viewpoints and Six Viewpoints.
Zoe Darbyshire
Zoë trained at the Conservatoire in Glasgow where she was awarded a bursary to further study for a year at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in clown. She has had a successful career in the performing and visual arts, including 15 years with Hearts & Minds in a diversity of roles.
Suzie Ferguson
Suzie Ferguson is a therapeutic clown, theatre maker and outside eye inspired by performing in non-theatre settings. She is one third of Tenterhooks' core creative team co-creating and performing in productions including MESS (2021) and Curious Shoes (2017).
Rachel Colles
Rachel trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and trained in clown with Pierre Byland and John Wright. Rachel is Co-Artistic Director of Dirliebane Theatre Company creating and touring clown theatre shows for children and young people.
Maria Oller
Maria is an actor, director and also teaches acting. Maria has been working as a Clowndoctor and Elderflower since 2001. She has trained and performed all over Europe and is currently also the Artistic Director of Lung Ha’s Theatre Company.
Diane Thornton
Diane studied acting at Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh and began her career at the National Theatre, London. After training with Philippe Gaulier, she co-created theatre with young artists in communities impacted by war and conflict. She joined Hearts & Minds in 2006.
Ben Winger
Ben trained at Queen Margaret University, graduated in 2010, and shortly after discovered clowning. He is an actor, clown, and theatre-maker and has been involved in productions with theatre companies across Scotland including National Theatre of Scotland, Grid Iron, and The Lyceum.
Sarah Miele
Sarah trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She is an award-winning performer, theatre maker and arts facilitator with a strong movement practise and a background of working with children and young people with additional support needs.
Ronan McMahon
Ronan has performed with Blue Man Group, Tenterhooks Theatre, Catherine Wheels, Visible Fictions, and Sprog Rock. He is a graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and he trained in clowning with Angela de Castro.
Callum Douglas
Callum trained as an actor at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has since worked widely as a performer and creative workshop facilitator with Catherine Wheels, Visible Fictions, and Perth Theatre. He is currently studying for an MSc in Dramatherapy.
Ryan Duncan
Ryan trained as an actor at Rose Bruford College, London. He is an actor and theatre maker and has performed and created with companies such as Lung Ha, Plutot La Vie, Big Telly, and Creation Theatre.
Our Office Team
Sean Donnelly
CEO
Photo: Ben Winger
Diane Thornton
Co-Artistic Director
Photo: Ben Winger
Lucy McGreal
Co-Artistic Director
Joanne Brown
Head of Development
Janice Taylor
Finance & Admin Officer
Shirley Monteith
Marketing & Communications Officer
Photo: Ben Winger
Ben Winger
Digital Engagement Officer
Board of Trustees
Bob Irvine
Chair
Bob is a former Senior Civil Servant in the Scottish Government with wide ranging experience including strategic leadership in cultural policy, education policy, and project management and governance. He has previously served on the boards of a number of charitable organisations in the cultural sector.
John Beattie
Trustee
Araib Sultan
Trustee
Araib Sultan is a Senior Manager in Deloitte with over 11 years of experience in financial services. He specialises in providing Audit and Assurance services to investment management, private equity, and retail banking clients.
Kevin Carter
Trustee
Kevin is an experienced senior marketing leader. For the past 20 years, he’s worked across brand, events, sponsorship, marketing production and digital. Kevin heads up Brand and Marketing Operations at Aegon.
Gary Ward
Trustee
Gary is a registered mental health nurse with extensive experience delivering training and education within the NHS. He is currently an operational manager and part of the senior leadership team for mental health services within the NHS.
Our Ambassadors
Phyllis Logan
Phyllis Logan is an award-winning actor best known for her role as Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey. She is our Ambassador for the Elderflower Programme and passionately supports our work bringing joy and comfort to people living with dementia across Scotland.
Gavin Oattes
Gavin is an award-winning entrepreneur, international keynote speaker, and bestselling author. His work inspires happiness, kindness, empathy, and laughter—values deeply shared with Hearts & Minds.
Photo: Andrew Jackson (@cursetheseeyes)
Chris Forbes
Chris is an award-winning actor, writer, and comedian (star of BBC’s Scot Squad). Chris has been a passionate champion of Hearts & Minds, performing in benefit galas and raising funds for our Clowndoctors.
Help us to enrich people's lives and improve well-being. Healthcare clowns are not just for LAUGHS!
There are lots of ways you can support Hearts & Minds. We are a Scottish charity that works in collaboration with paediatric healthcare units, respite centres, additional support needs (ASN) schools, and Dementia units. Our healthcare clowns offer authentic emotional connection accessible to all, whatever their circumstance.
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