Andrew Cuthbert

Andrew Cuthbert is a social entrepreneur and technologist who believes that meaningful change begins with small, focused groups and a clear purpose. His work combines innovation with social responsibility, rooted in the idea that technology should be used to improve lives and protect the planet.

With experience across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Andrew has led large software teams and delivered complex projects in a range of industries. Since 2006, he has worked in big data and social systems, developing a strong understanding of how digital tools shape society and influence human behavior.

He is known for building ventures that challenge conventional thinking. His focus is on execution, ethical design, and long-term value. His interests span biodiversity, systems change, and leadership in uncertain times.

Andrew is motivated by legacy, not just growth. He believes in planting strong foundations and growing ideas with care. When the right people come together with shared intent, the impact can be far-reaching.

Gareth Loughrey

Gareth Loughrey is the Paint & Innovation Technician at Repair and Share Foyle, where he is leading efforts to reduce the volume of paint destined for landfill by developing creative reuse solutions. With support from the National Lottery, Gareth is building a paint remanufacturing programme that will get unused paint back into the community — reprocessed for use in local projects, community groups, and sold at an affordable price to the public.

He’s also the founder of Oakleaf Studios, an arts and events business based in Derry. Through Oakleaf, Gareth runs vibrant Paint & Sip events and upcycles bespoke furniture using reclaimed wood and salvaged materials from local sawmills and charity shops — blending creativity with sustainability and circular economy.

Gareth brings a wealth of experience in community arts, having worked alongside his assistant Pauline on large-scale installations at the Burning Man Festival in 2016 and 2018. His work is rooted in collaboration, social impact, and a passion for creative reuse.

Pauline Fay

Meet Pauline, our warm and welcoming assistant who handles the meet and greet at every event with a smile. She’s a self-taught artist with a creative flair and a passion for people. Her friendly energy helps set the perfect tone for a fun, relaxed workshop.

Charo Lanao (Maria Madden)

Change Agent for Dialogue and Transform- Action

Karin Eyben

Karin is a member of the Hare’s Corner Community Cooperative – a platform of support for creators, makers, facilitators, dreamers learning how to build the care of people and the rest of nature into our everyday practice.

Heather Turkington

BIO: Heather Turkington is a Psychological Trauma Therapist working at the intersection of mental health in the NHS, creative practice, and social healing. She is dual-trained in Dramatherapy and Trauma-Focused CBT and is passionate about integrating creative, embodied, and evidence-based approaches to recovery. 

Heather is Vice Chair of the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists (IACAT) and formerly Vice Chair of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADTH). She is active in advocacy and strategy for Allied Health Professionals within the Trusts. 

Here at Stendhal, she’s here to offer space for rest, reconnection, and breath. She believes healing is political, joy is vital, and softness is strength.

Jacqueline Gibson

Jacqueline has been a key player in the evolution carbon zero delivery service across Northern Ireland. With 20 years’ experience in the sustainability sector, she has used her drive and vision to embed sustainable development goals across Manchester United Plc, HSBC, Blenheim Palace and closer to home, Radius Housing, Graham Construction and Belfast Harbour. With award winning success she is Director for the worlds longest running Industrial Symbiosis program, operating across NI and funded through Invest NI.

Born in West Africa and growing up between the Mourne Mountain County Down Coast and Sub- Sahara arid Africa, has allowed Jacqueline to grasp global and complex issues and turn these into opportunities for local action

Jane Christie

Bio: 

Jane Christie is an award winning qualified Ayurvedic Herbalist, Teacher, Author and Flower Essence Creator. She is the founder of Spiral Soul Soul Apothecary where you can find handmade Herbal medicine, Herbal courses, 1:1 consultations and the first Irish complete flower essence kit for practitioners at spiralsoul.co.uk.

Title of Talk: Becoming a Herbalist: 

In this talk Jane Christie, award winning qualified Herbalist of Spiral Soul Apothecary, will share about her rocky path to becoming a Herbalist and starting her own successful Herbal business, Spiral Soul Apothecary. She shares about the highs, the lows and the magic of moving from disconnection to herbal inspiration.

Welcoming questions and sharing herbal samples, this promises to be a lively, fun and enjoyable experience for all!

Workshop: 

Join Jane Christie, award winning qualified Herbalist of Spiral Soul Apothecary, in this Wild Herbal Ointment Making Workshop. You will learn about the fundamentals of Wild Herbal Medicine, enjoy the magic of co-creation, honouring the plants and each other as we make and discuss wild herbal remedies. 

In this workshop you will create your own wild healing ointment to take home with you as well as having the opportunity to try other herbal remedies along the way.

Sharon Galway

With over 30 years in financial services, she leads the Trust & Estate Services division at Protect NI, guiding families across Northern Ireland through wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Known for her clear and compassionate advice, she works closely with legal and financial professionals to ensure estate plans are practical, compliant, and deeply personal. As a qualified life coach, she brings empathy, clarity, and purpose to every legacy conversation.

Joanne Fullerton

Joanne Fullerton is a member of the ChangeMakers Donegal panel of facilitators, hosting events, workshops and providing mentoring to community groups on linking local initiatives to global challenges. She also works with  Síolta Chroí – an ecosystem restoration organisation based in Monaghan.

Her work often focuses on mushroom cultivation, food justice and ecosystem restoration. Her qualifications include a master’s degree in Food Security (University of Edinburgh) and Permaculture Design Certificate. 

Melted parents NI

Melted Parents is a parent-led group and the largest campaign for childcare reform in Northern Ireland, volunteer-led by a group of mums who do their lobbying work while juggling motherhood and professional careers. Since its start in 2023, the group has mobilised thousands of parents into advocating for childcare reform, putting the childcare crisis in the spotlight and making childcare a top priority for Stormont. The group has had a key role in the development and implementation of the NI Childcare Subsidy Scheme and is now in direct engagement with the government to ensure the lived experience of families is considered in the development and delivery of the upcoming Early Education and Childcare Strategy.

Rebecca Harper, Mother of 2, Co-Founder and Director

With over 10 years of experience in the charity sector, Becca has made significant impact as a Volunteer Led Service Manager and more recently in the Standardisation & Improvement space. Since co-founding Melted Parents in March 2023, she has focused on campaign strategy and partnerships, working alongside incredible volunteers and organisations to advocate for high quality, fully affordable and accessible childcare in NI.

Raissa Balduino, Mother of 1, Community Engagement and Communications Lead

Raissa is a Brazilian migrant with a background in communications and, more recently, in human rights and equality activism and philanthropy. Raissa leads Melted Parents communications and engagement strategies with a focus on politically mobilising supporters and building relationships with other grassroots groups that are also campaigning for childcare.

https://meltedparentsni.com/pages/our-campaign

Matthew Phillip

Matthew Phillip leads three pivotal organisations shaping carnival culture in the UK. As CEO of Carnival Village Trust, London’s premier carnival development agency, he champions integrated carnival arts programmes that keep the culture alive and thriving. He also serves as CEO of Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, steering Europe’s largest street street, while simultaneously acting as Managing Director of Mangrove Carnival Arts CIC, one of the UK’s oldest steel bands and the renowned Mangrove Mas band. In June 2022, Matthew took on the role of Chair of the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), supporting the independent festival community nationwide.

Darren Ferguson

Darren Ferguson is the founder and director of the organisation Beyond Skin

For over 21 years Beyond Skin with partners have been delivering events,, exhibitions, productions and community projects in Northern Ireland and wirth global neighbours in 32 countries. Darren through Beyond Skin has been assisting artists seeking sanctuary and has been championing Afghan music and art whilst helping Afghan women and girls at risk in Afghanistan and the diaspora. www.beyondskin.net

Maron Brhane

Maron Brhane is a professional musician from Eritrea who arrived in Northern Ireland last year. He plays a traditional stringed instrument called a Krar and sings in Tigrinya and Arabic. Maron is supported through a Beyond Skin programme and has recorded and released music working in collaboration with other musicians, also using his skills in community work.

Janelle Hanna

Janelle Hanna is the founder of White Weft, a forward-thinking denim design studio based in London, specialising in circular design, denim repair, and upcycling.

Before launching White Weft, Janelle served as Head Designer at Wrangler, where she developed a deep understanding of the craftsmanship and resources involved in making a single pair of jeans. This insight fuels her commitment to extending the life of denim and tackling the environmental impact of fast fashion.

A passionate advocate for circular economy principles and new business models that foster more mindful relationships with clothing, Janelle is also the author of the forthcoming book Jean Genius: How to Repair, Rework, and Upcycle Your Denim, to be published by Skittledog in September 2025.

Caroline McGuinness-Brooks

Now Programme Director of Repair & Share Foyle, Caroline leads a growing portfolio of hands-on circular projects, from the Library of Things and Repair Café Foyle, to a Fixing Factory, Laptop Redistribution Campaign, and Paint Remanufacture venture. Her work reflects a deep commitment to community, inclusion, and environmental action – rooted firmly in the place she calls home.

Paddy Nash

Paddy Nash is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Limavady (originally from Derry), known for his deeply human and rootsy blend of folk, rock, country, punk, pop, and blues . Often hailed as “Ireland’s Springsteen,” he earned praise from Irish legend Christy Moore as one of the few songwriters he deeply admires 

He gained prominence fronting the folk-rock band The Happy Enchiladas, releasing acclaimed albums like When We Were Brave (2010), Times of Transition (2012), and Laughter & Love (2015) while performing at iconic venues across Ireland and the UK, including Hope & Anchor, Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, Millennium Forum, and The Empire 

As a solo artist, Nash headlined the LeftField stage at Glastonbury in both 2011 and 2017, and he has supported touring greats like Billy Bragg—collaborating with him on his Jail Guitar Doors prison project and even becoming musician-in-residence at HMP Magilligan

Méabh O’Neill

You’d normally find Méabh beside our zero waste stations at Stendhal but this year she’ll be putting her day job as a physio to use, to Greet the Morning with some gentle movement. Méabh has a range of experience in movement practice, from teaching yoga to older people and rugby players as well as over a decade working as a physio

Katherine Rowlandson – KIPPIE

Kippie CIC is an award-winning social enterprise that helps people from underrepresented backgrounds create their own video games and tell their own stories. Our programmes build skills, confidence, and creativity—opening pathways into the digital economy. We’ve been recognised by The Observer and Nesta’s New Radicals (2018), GamesIndustry.biz’s Game Changers (2021), and won the Sir Ken Robinson Unlocking Creativity award. We’ve also been featured on BBC Arts NI’s Ones to Watch and the Gamemaker blog. Kippie uses game-making as a tool for self-expression, communication, and community impact—empowering everyone to shape the future of play

Promo KIPPIE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tHqmxn30hg7S1b418OnkML3A5fvVXP2A/view

Justine Scoltock

A multidisciplinary artist with over 25 years’ experience in the arts, digital media, and creative education. Passionate about community engagement and inclusive storytelling, I work across visual art, film, and interactive media—both independently and in collaboration with local and national organisations.

Mary McGuiggan

Mary McGuiggan blends deep cultural roots with dynamic environmental leadership. As a teacher, dancer, community facilitator, and activist, she channels her lifelong passion for arts, education, and the environment into building grassroots momentum—from local dances to global climate justice.

Paul Forte

Futures Literacy

Paul’s main interests lie in the development and application of whole system approaches for analysing planning and management issues. He is an independent consultant in this field and has worked at local, national and international levels for health authorities, government, and multi-national agencies. 

His particular expertise and experience has primarily been in the health and social care sector. However, in recent years, he has also been active in the field of climate change adaptation metrics. 

Paul’s current academic positions are postgraduate teaching at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the School of Management, University of Bath. He has an extensive research publications record.

Eamonn McCann

Eamonn McCann’s life and work blend deep-rooted socialism, a steadfast commitment to civil rights, and strategic political activism. From his early days challenging housing injustice and chronicling Bloody Sunday to campaigning for justice and then championing rail revival, McCann exemplifies decades of principled, grassroots engagement in Northern Ireland’s social and political landscape.

Steve Bradley

Steve Bradley is Chair of ‘Into The West’ (ITW), which is the rail campaign for counties Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh & Donegal. ITW was established in 2004 to campaign against the closure of the last remaining railway line West of the Bann/in the North-West of the island. Since then it has helped secure major investment in the Derry-Belfast rail line – including a new station in Derry and a doubling in the frequency of services from the city. The group is also campaigning for rail to be restored and improved right across the north-west of the island – especially its return to Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh. This session will see Steve Bradley and Eamonn McCann make the case for rail’s role in tackling the climate crisis and promoting social justice, plus why and where it should be restored. As this is the 75th anniversary of Limavady losing its railway, they will also make the case for bringing rail back to Stendhal’s home town. Hopefully some day soon we’ll all be able to take the train to Stendhal !

OURganic Gardens

Joanne Butler runs an educational garden and home with her husband Milo, in Donegal called ‘OURganic Gardens’. Since 2013 Joanne has been facilitating horticulture and community garden classes with community groups aided by the ETB and the local authority. Through her teaching she has worked with over 25 community gardens throughout the county and beyond. Her business has won awards with Save Our Planet, the Irish Food Writers Guild, JCI and has previously been shortlisted with a star award through Aontas – the National Adult Learning organisation. 

OURganic Gardens is A four-acre small holding in Gortahork that not only grows organic fruit and vegetables, but they also hold workshops on growing vegetables and designing food and permaculture gardens. Joanne has completed a business mentorship on the ACORNS programme for Women in Ireland as business entrepreneurs and has worked throughout her community in other environmental project such as VOICE ambassadors, Cool Planet Champions, and Grow Ambassador for Ireland. 

During Covid she has taught over 700 online participants from her potting shed in Donegal and continues now to participant in environmental projects such as seedIT Union and an EIP Soil Biodiversity & Enhancement project with Talamh Beo . Joanne had also worked with Donegal 

ChangeMakers as development officer and facilitator working with the seeds of change participants, mentoring projects & Fairtrade groups in Donegal and more recently as a climate action officer with Donegal Local Development Company coordinating the community garden network and working with the Donegal food response network and other climate action projects. 

Joanne is now back on her land running OURganic Gardens full time coordinating a multi-faceted programme of workshops, events , produce and product sales and garden design and consultation. For more details or to get in touch please check out ourganicgardens.ie