Tortoise in a Nutshell

We are absolutely delighted to announce our new Chair of Trustees is the wonderful Fiona Sturgeon Shea. 🤩

Fiona is a respected Scottish arts leader, bringing over thirty years of experience across producing theatres, venues, funding bodies, the public sector, and national sector development organisations. Fiona has led departments for: Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre twice - as Marketing Manager and Head of Communications; the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond; the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; the Scottish Government/NHS Lothian; the Scottish Arts Council. She was Creative Director at Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland; and, most recently, CEO of the Federation of Scottish Theatre.

Fiona’s work is consistently driven by a passion for stories of all kinds, and a deep care for the artists who create them. Alongside a career-long commitment to audiences and communities, this foundation informs her broad expertise, which encompasses strategic management, communications, funding, artist and audience development, and high-level advocacy and policy.

Fiona comments, “I’m genuinely honoured to be elected Chair of Tortoise in a Nutshell. I have long admired their work, from early sharings at Manipulate to their evolution into one of the most inventive and diligent companies in the performing arts.

“I recently had the privilege of seeing Una Imagines at North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Sharing that experience with an audience of five-year-olds, I was struck by the beauty and intricacy of the work and the story’s emotional resonance. I look forward to working with Alex, Arran and the team—who are fully deserving of their recent Multi-Year Funding—and supporting them as they navigate a positive future as a leading visual theatre organisation.”

It’s been a busy few weeks over at Tortoise. Including:

1. Christmas craft workshops
2. Christmas Day including our very own Puppetree
3. A fully booked Self producing workshop for emerging artists
4. An introduction to Visual Theatre workshops
5. Una Imagines performances and workshops and out exploring Caithness
6. A fully booked Visual Theatre workshop by Co-Directors Arran and Alex

We still have shows tomorrow 🤩 and then next week is all about preparing for 2026 before a full team well earned break 😮‍💨

Lots more exciting things coming before then though 💪

Thanks to everyone who has joined us over the past few weeks