Meet the Team Behind The Stove Network
Guiding Together: The Stove Network’s Shared Leadership
The Stove Network’s team structure has been carefully designed to reflect the scale, complexity and collaborative ethos of our work. A shared leadership model distributes responsibility and enables a diversity of expertise across decision-making within the Senior Management Team.
Senior Management Team Is As Follows:
- Creative Strategy: Martin O’Neill
- Finance & People Services: Lindsey Smith
- Operations & Projects: Graham Rooney
- Partnerships, Networks & Policy: Katharine Wheeler
- Governance & Board Matters: Lynsey Smith, Chair of the Board of Trustees
Lindsey Smith | Finance Director
Lindsey grew up in Dumfries and is delighted to be back working in the heart of the town. She studied accountancy in Edinburgh after a career as a trainer and manager in the catering industry.
With nearly 20 years’ experience in financial management across both commercial and charitable industries—11 of which were for third sector entities focused on the arts and creative practice—she brings a breadth of expertise and a love of spreadsheets.
Excited by the passion, dedication, and enthusiasm of The Stove team, she hopes to support the organisation’s vision and aims within the town and the wider community.
Martin O’Neill | Artistic Director
As an artist and producer, Martin works with people to realise new projects, artworks, and spaces, employing an eclectic range of styles and disciplines, including community events, theatre, music, poetry, and installation. Martin describes his artistic practice as rooted in the values of inclusion and facilitation, collaboration, and representation. As Artistic Director of The Stove, Martin works across all of The Stove’s projects, connecting these values with everything that we do.
Katharine Wheeler | Development Director
Katharine has a creative background spanning community and socially engaged art, helping to develop the creative placemaking work of The Stove since she joined in 2015. Originally studying at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, she recently completed an MA in Arts and Social Practice with the University of the Highlands and Islands, bringing a deeper exploration to her passion for arts and culture as part of community-led change-making.
Always interested in the boundary-crossing nature of the work we do across different sectors and within communities, Katharine works to build our partnerships and strengthen relationships to develop the way we work with others, initiate programmes of activity and collaboration, and support creative sector development and learning in creative placemaking. Katharine is also the lead for What We Do Now, a growing network of community hubs, practitioners, and partners passionate about the use of creativity by communities to shape their own futures.
Graham Rooney | Operations Director
When he’s not living his best life creating a project plan, running projects, leading on the Wild Goose Festival, motivating the team, or telling anyone who will listen about the value of systems, Graham can be found managing contracts, arranging building maintenance, and holding responsibilities for the governance of the organisation.
Graham originally comes from a sporting (football) background and loves being part of a team, and really believes in the magic that can come from working together towards common goals. Graham particularly enjoys the part of his role where he gets to merge his enterprise head with community-led endeavours. Graham is the Lead Producer of the Wild Goose Festival, which he is extremely passionate about. He once said he might change his middle name to Barnacle, and we’re not sure if this was entirely a joke.
Before joining The Stove in 2018, Graham trained as a professional thermographer and worked for 20 years within the construction industry. Graham is not an artist but does have a creative side. He has collaborated with visual artists to produce works that have been exhibited at art festivals in Croatia and Scotland, and has had solo work shown in exhibitions including the 2017 Royal Glasgow Institute Fine Arts Show.
Kirsty Geddes | Marketing & Communications Manager
As Marketing & Communications Manager at The Stove, Kirsty is dedicated to amplifying the voice of the organisation – the work they do and the progress that is made. At the core of her approach is a passion for storytelling. She believes in the power of creative communication to connect, engage and inspire audiences. She prioritises clear, accessible communication that resonates with people, meeting them where they are and sparking meaningful interactions.
Katie Anderson | Public Art Lead
Katie describes her work as an embedded practice of settling, establishing creative projects alongside and as part of communities, creating work that has its foundations in a sense of place. From painting signboards to supporting exhibitions in the café, hosting film screenings, developing permanent public artworks, and delivering outdoor installations alongside a variety of other side projects, Katie’s role at The Stove has continued to develop, led by the aspirations of the Network and inspired by the varied fabric of the town itself.
The role of Public Art Lead supports core Stove programming with additional activities and events, including Reel to Real Cinema and Conversing Building, offers specific support for projects that hold public art elements, and also develops its own distinctive projects that explore public spaces in and around the town centre.
Katie has been a part of The Stove since 2013 and currently delivers the role on a freelance basis alongside her personal creative work from her studio in Annandale.
Robbie Henderson | Web & Data Manager
With his family having deep roots in rural Nithsdale and the Stewartry, Robbie has lived and worked in Dumfries and Galloway for most of his life. Driven by a passion to make a difference in his home region, he has been active in the third sector since 2017. During this time, he has helped develop diverse projects, including establishing an online music and bookshop and reimagining a local festival as an online experience.
At The Stove, Robbie’s role is multifaceted, combining his expertise in web development, digital strategy, IT support, and cybersecurity. He is responsible for developing and maintaining websites for The Stove and its various projects, utilising his skills in web design and front-end development. By applying his knowledge of SEO strategies and web analytics, he enhances and monitors The Stove’s digital presence.
As the Data Protection Officer, Robbie ensures that The Stove complies with relevant data protection laws and regulations. He identifies and addresses cybersecurity needs for the organisation’s IT systems, websites, and online platforms. Additionally, he develops and maintains IT systems that support day-to-day operations, fundraising, event planning, and delivery.
Robbie also provides IT support, training, and advice to his team-mates, ensuring they have the necessary knowledge and resources to carry out their work effectively. His role has allowed him to learn and apply new skills in areas such as live streaming and audio engineering, enabling him to edit podcasts and videos for YouTube and to live-stream workshops, panels, and festivals.
Robbie’s journey at The Stove has been one of growth and adaptability, which he has found deeply rewarding. He values being part of an organisation that uses creativity as a catalyst for community development and empowerment in the region he calls home.
Sal Cuddihy | Production Lead
Sal began working at The Stove Network as part of the curatorial team in 2016, and is now Head of Production, managing all events that are delivered by The Stove. She has been the lead producer of Nithraid Festival since she began, and has recently taken on management of the Creative Caerlaverock Project.
Sal runs a team of talented event producers who assist in delivering all in-house events at The Stove, and has created a training programme for young people entering the world of event production. Her key focuses and skill sets lie in transforming spaces and locations into artistically curated venues (the bigger the challenge, the better); front of house training and management; community engagement; health and safety; logistics; and venue management.
Sal works closely with the various departments of The Stove Network & Café to deliver the visions that are presented by the communities and artists that engage with The Stove.
Pam Mackay | Cafe Manager | The Stove Cafe
Pam can be found busily running The Stove Café alongside our brilliant team. She is also involved in supporting events happening in and around the café, working with the wider Stove team. She strives to breathe life into the place and make it somewhere for all to feel welcome.
Pam really enjoys connecting with her creative side too. She previously studied photography in Glasgow and has a huge passion for music and live performance. One of the things she loves about running a café within a creative organisation is that there is always something new and interesting happening somewhere. “It’s a great community to be a part of,” she says.
Deirdre Rooney | Finance & HR Assistant
Originally from Ireland, Dee spent time travelling the world and lived in Australia before moving to Scotland—first to Glasgow before settling in Dumfries with her family. Dee brings over a decade of retail and hospitality management experience to The Stove team.
Dee is a real people person and, along with supporting our finance director, she also works with the wider team at The Stove to deliver training and support opportunities. Dee’s people-centric approach is evident to anyone engaging with The Stove, as she is always offering top-notch banter!
Wren Winters (They/Them) | Project Coordinator
Originally from rural Appalachia in the USA, Wren came to Scotland in 2022 to pursue an MSc in Sustainable Tourism and Global Challenges. Arriving at The Stove in the summer of 2023 on a thesis placement with the Wild Goose Festival, they engaged the community with grassroots research and development initiatives. At the end of their master’s, Wren stayed on board to help run the 2023 Wild Goose Festival Hub. Wren can now be found at The Stove creating systems, coordinating Open Hoose development, championing community conversations, and working on the WWDN Digital Media Festival. Outside The Stove, Wren works as a freelancer developing sustainable tourism initiatives that celebrate national, local, historical, and natural heritages.
A passionate believer in taking any opportunity to be outside, Wren spends their free time cycling, hiking, doodling mushrooms they encounter in the wild, and playing with their Saluki/Border Collie rescue amongst the hills of Dumfries and Galloway.
Andrew Furlonger | Membership Manager | WWDN
Andy studied business and management in Birmingham. After graduation, he spent a few years working for a range of multinational financial and telecoms companies before taking a senior role at an international charity and moving to London.
His career in the capital spanned two decades and included senior business development and account management roles for FTSE 250 property firms, early-stage start-ups, and social enterprises, among others. He has developed and led business units at an operational and strategic level, implementing processes to deliver revenue targets in highly dynamic environments.
An art enthusiast, especially neo-expressionism, he also has a passion for events and building networks—so the Membership Manager role was a perfect fit. It also tied in with a move back to Dumfries after 20-plus years in Birmingham and London. Andy brings with him a track record of delivering challenging targets and creating opportunities through innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Meg Dickinson-Hood | Community Events Producer
Starting out as a freelance sound engineer, Meg worked on events held at The Stove before joining the team as a community events producer.
Meg started her career in the music industry back in 2017 as a guitarist in a five-piece band, playing all across the country and in Europe. Just before lockdown, she decided to further her knowledge and study sound production in Cumbernauld, leading her to move offstage and behind the desk. Since finishing her studies and moving back to Dumfries, she has been working with the local creative community, running the sound desk at live events and recording artists in the studio.
At the start of 2023, Meg created her first project, producing a series of live sessions with Circa 16 Sound Recording to showcase a wide variety of Scottish musicians.
Kirsty Harris | Artist-In-Residence
Kirsty Harris is an artist, designer, and maker specialising in installation, performative works, and workshop facilitation.
Kirsty creates immersive worlds and experiences in found environments, landscapes, and theatres. She has produced work for babies as young as six months and for all the ages that follow. Her work is kind, curious, and playful.
She has collaborated with, or been commissioned by, companies including Punchdrunk, The Young Vic, WWT Caerlaverock, Likely Story Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre, Southbank Centre, National Theatre Wales, The National Trust, Scarborough Museums and Galleries, and Manchester Jewish Museum. Kirsty works all over the UK, as well as locally to her home in Kirkcudbright.
