We're delighted to announce the appointment of Lynne Halfpenny as Imaginate's new Chair of the Board of Trustees. She succeeds Laura Turney who will become Vice-Chair and who said: “I would like to extend a warm welcome to Lynne on behalf of the Imaginate Board. Lynne is already a fabulous champion for Edinburgh’s festivals and her extensive experience of Scotland’s arts sector can only benefit Imaginate. We’re very much looking forward to working with her.”
Lynne Halfpenny has over 35 years of experience in Scotland’s cultural sector. She recently retired as Director of Culture for the City of Edinburgh Council where she had responsibility for a staffing complement of c.140, cultural venues, the civic museums service, arts, festivals and events and public safety for the Council. She has been instrumental in supporting Edinburgh’s Festivals and the city’s cultural venues to ensure that they continue to thrive and function as local, national and international beacons of success. She has championed the development of cultural programmes that can be experienced and enjoyed by all of Edinburgh’s communities.
Lynne was a board member of Museums & Galleries Scotland between 2006-2016, board member of Eastgate Theatre between 2010-2012 and a Common Purpose Advisory Group member between 2008-2016. She has been a visiting Professor for Edinburgh Napier University since 2011 and an Advisor to the School of Arts, Social Sciences and Managements at Queen Margaret University since 2012.
Lynne said: "I am absolutely delighted to be joining Imaginate as Chair of the Board. I have been a fan of the Festival since its inception over 30 years ago and more recently have had the pleasure of discovering Imaginate's year-round programme of work in schools and the important role they play in supporting artistic practice and development across Scotland . Imaginate's values align with my own and I am looking forward to working with the skilled and passionate team there to ensure we thrive and develop sustainably over the coming years."