Company Profiles

Meet our lovely team

Dougie Irvine

He / Him

I’m Dougie and I’m the Artistic Director of Visible Fictions. I have responsibility for all the projects we do and I work with brilliantly creative folk to make them all happen – whether here in our office with my Visible Fictions’ colleagues, in the rehearsal room with actors and stage managers or in pre-production meetings with designers, writers, composers, production managers. I also work with funders, co-producers and other agencies to develop our work, the theatre sector, improve training opportunities and hopefully and ultimately make it better for the audiences who come to experience good work.

Suzie Bell

She / Her

Hello, I’m Suzie and I’m Visible Fictions’ Learning and Engagement Co-ordinator. Alongside this role, I also facilitate drama and creative workshops and truly believe the arts is rooted in finding the commonalities beyond our differences. I’m super lucky that my new role will allow me to connect with the education department in various local authorities, allowing nurseries, schools and high schools to connect and engage with our performances. We know from the UN Article 31, the Convention on the Rights of the Child that “every child has the right to play and partake in recreational activities and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts” and I’m beyond excited that my role will directly reflect this. It’s my responsibility to ensure engagement with educational institutions and young people is positive, meaningful and accessible for all.

Sophie Ochojna

She / Her

I’m Sophie, I am the Marketing and Development Manager for Visible Fictions. No day is the same, it really depends on what we are up to. If the company is touring then a lot of my time is spent working with the touring venues to get bums on seats, if we are developing projects then I try and find some funding to make them happen. We are a creative bunch so there are always interesting chats going on about what we would like to do next and how to go about it. I love that bit, working on a new idea… it can take you anywhere.

Laura Penny

She / Her

My name is Laura and I am the Producer for Visible Fictions. My job is to sort out the people and the things that those people need to make someone’s artistic vision come true. So you have an idea for a play, I will draw up a budget, find out if the rights to that play are available or maybe engage a writer to write it. I will contract a creative team, designer, composer, lighting designer, production manager etc. Contract the performers. Find a venue to rehearse it. Find venues to perform it in. If those venues are overseas then make sure everyone has a visa, book their travel and accommodation, get them some transport, oh and insurance. It’s all that kind of behind the scenes stuff. Every day is different and you are always learning something new. That’s the best bit about it.

Julie Brown

She / Her

Hi everyone, I’m Julie – the Projects Manager here at Visible Fictions. I’m here to support the team on all the incredible creative projects currently being developed, in rehearsal or already touring. I’ll crossover with the entire VF team as well as our creative teams and project partners to ensure everyone has everything they need in order to bring all these wonderful stories to life!

Malena Persson

She / Her

Hejhej, I’m Malena and I am Visible Fictions’ Social Media Officer. It is my job to communicate and promote the artistic work, our vision, and all upcoming events via a wide range of digital platforms. What I really like about my role is that I get to be very creative, often using both video and photography to create exciting content. There are also important social aspects to the job, and I always thrive to engage the online community by inviting them to open and respectful dialogues, and to make sure that the Visible Fictions’ social media outlets have a layout, and themes, that can be accessed, used and enjoyed by all audiences.

Jason Dyer

He / Him

Hi, I’m Jason, the Fundraising Officer here at Visible Fictions. I’m responsible for securing the vital funds that allow us to create innovative and engaging theatre experiences for audiences near and far. From developing relationships with trusts and foundations to connecting with individual donors, I work to ensure our creative projects thrive and reach those who need them most.

I’m passionate about the arts and its power to inspire, and I love seeing the impact of our work on young people and communities. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring Scotland and relaxing at home with my cat.

Board of Directors

Darrell Williams (Chair)

(He / Him)

Darrell works as a consultant and freelancer with clients including National Trust for Scotland, Workshop and Studio Provision Scotland (WASPS ltd) and Edinburgh University Students’ Association. Previous roles include Chief Operating Officer at Edinburgh Science Festival between 2015 and 2020 and Managing Director / Executive Director at Macrobert Arts Centre at The University of Stirling (2011 – 2015). Darrell spent six years as Head of Sales and Marketing for Festival City Theatres Trust, running the King’s and Festival Theatres in Edinburgh. Before moving to Edinburgh, he was a consultant for Brand Events, one of the UK’s major organisers of consumer events. From 2000 to 2005, Darrell was Group Marketing Manager for BBC Worldwide running the marketing, communication and sales campaigns for large scale consumer events and exhibitions in London and Birmingham including BBC Gardeners’ World Live, BBC Good Food Show, Festive BBC Good Food Show, BBC Good Homes Show and BBC DIY Show.

Rachel Edwards

(She / Her)

Rachel’s career started in the Marketing & Events sector working with many of Scotland’s premier organisations; Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Cameron House at Loch Lomond, Ubiquitous Chip and Stravaigin Group, Corrour Lodge & Clydebuilt Festival. Taking a sidestep into the third sector in 2020, Rachel joined the team at the Glasgow Community Food Network to deliver an Emergency Food Distribution Project in response to the Covid 19 Pandemic. Moving on from this role 18 months later, Rachel joined the Glasgow Area Funding Team at the National Lottery Community Fund. Rachel is currently the Chief Executive of Epilepsy Connections, having previously served as a trustee. Rachel is an active volunteer, collaborating with the Soul Food Sisters; a social enterprise supporting migrant women in Glasgow where she provides ongoing business and mentoring support to their team.

Etienne Kubwabo

(He / Him)

Etienne is a filmmaker and comic book writer with a passion for showcasing his stories and culture through his art. To date, he has written, directed, and produced award-winning documentaries and shot over 120 music videos and commercials. His debut feature film, ‘The Difference Between Us’ was released worldwide in 2023 and is now available on streaming platforms STV Player (UK), SKY Box and Mansa (US). Etienne created Scotland’s first-ever black superhero in the critically acclaimed comic book series ‘Beats of War’ and discussed its inception on BBC’s The Social, BBC Radio Scotland and STV News. In 2017, Etienne was commissioned by BEMIS Scotland, in collaboration with the Scottish Government, to explore Scotland’s story through the eyes of ethnic and cultural minority communities. ‘Scotland’s Memoir’ presents these alongside the perspectives of civic representatives, artists, historians, and the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon. In 2018, BEMIS Scotland once again commissioned Etienne to make a documentary on the stories of young and talented writers, artists and musicians. ‘We are Scotland’ was released to wide acclaim. Etienne continues to work hard to grow Mile Away Films and is determined to put Scottish filmmaking on the map.

Martin Latham (Stig)

(He / Him)

Stig’s early career involved strapping on a rucksack and setting off to see the world, albeit the somewhat unglamorous world of mid-scale touring. Treading the boards has never interested Stig but with this exception, he has worn most theatre hats, sound, lights, set building, stage and production management. After a brief hiatus in the world of corporate event, Stig joined the Sadler’s Wells family as Technical Manager of The Peacock in 2004. A few years later he made the jump to Head of The Olivier Stage, National Theatre, where he happily managed a team producing critically acclaimed work and trying to stay out of the football chat. In 2014, along with wife Kate, Stig relocated to Scotland to realise a long-held dream of running their own business. These days Stig mostly spends his time running Greenhillock Glamping, an eco-campsite where he is co-founder, chief BBQ chef, inventor, designer and head of construction.

Andy Stewart

(He / Him)

Andy is a young professional working as an international festival and events producer. Based in Dubai, UAE, Andy is currently Programme Manager at Emirates Literature Foundation and Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, he specialises in programming and producing for families, young people and creative learning. Andy continues to programme for a number of UK based festivals on a freelance basis. Andy joined the board of Visible Fictions in January of 2022 whilst working as Creative Producer at Wigtown Festival Company, during his time there he spearheaded some 200 annual events for children and young people and founded the D&G School’s Tour that brings external arts engagement to over fifty of Dumfries & Galloway’s schools each November. Alongside his work in the Arts, Andy owns and manages a sawmill and timber merchant business in Galloway serving both domestic and trade markets. In his free time, Andy is a judge for The Diverse Book Awards, and continues to study an honours degree in Business Management at the Open University.

Meet our lovely team

Dougie Irvine

He / Him

Suzie Bell

She / Her

Sophie Ochojna

She / Her

Laura Penny

She / Her

Julie Brown

She / Her

Malena Persson

She / Her

Jason Dyer

He / Him

Board of Directors

Let us know what you think.

Contact

Join Mailing List

Cookies Policy

Site Map

© Visible Fictions 2025. All rights reserved.

Site by De:strukt Studio®