Our team

Helen O’Brien

Helen is the founding director and lead of Creative Catalyst, a sculptor and an arts coordinator, with over 20 years of working in participatory creative learning and community engagement. From strategic lead and supporting our core projects, she also facilitates and delivers our groups and workshops.
“We see the most amazing potential in all the young people we work with, and our role is to be the support network they need to realise this for themselves.”

Photo credit, Kim Cessford

Anna Kelso

Anna is one of our creative facilitators and mentors. Whether it’s in a workshop or behind-the-scenes, she brings a combination of creative expertise, youth-focused empathy, and values-driven action. She offers hands-on skills in analogue and digital art, professional insight and meaningful encouragement plus a deep understanding of how creativity can be a tool for wellbeing and empowerment.
Anna is an applied artist with a background in digital art. She uses her experience with collaborative, cross-disciplinary work, to make bridges between artists, educators, and the community. Her personal creative practice includes digital illustration, site-specific applied art and textiles.
She believes that creativity has the power to transform how we perceive and understand the world, our community, and ourselves.

“Creativity fosters collaboration in people, it has the power to change the world.”

Photo credit, Kim Cessford

Caitlin Hanna

Caitlin is a creative practitioner who co-leads our young people group including delivering workshops, and mentoring and supporting young people towards their goals.
Caitlin is an early-career fine artist, whose work revolves around creating connections and being honest about emotional vulnerability. They feel this aligns with their mentoring and facilitating roles, as their genuine interest in connecting with others and being honest about feelings and experiences can create strong, and open relationships. Media doesn’t matter to Caitlin, they use what feels right to express the emotion they are exhibiting.

“We all start from somewhere, stay true to yourself and the work will follow. We hope we can support you on your journey.”

Photo credit, Kim Cessford

Jonathan Gould

Jonathan is a designer from Perth. He works exclusively with third sector organisations to help them form a strategic vision for their communications. From that vision I create materials across a wide range of media channels.
I am also an experienced tutor and group leader, having worked for University of the Highlands and Islands teaching Visual Communications. My aim is to bring the worlds of communication, collaboration and co-development together into engaging and accessible outputs.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Photo credit, Jonathan Gould

Rhiannon Mudalier

Rhi is an artist, writer, and event coordinator based out of Dundee. Their artistic practice concerns narratives, from inception to screen. Poetry, photography, and documentative art film are their mediums of choice.

Rhi provides creative digital support, workshop delivery, and mentorship through Creative Catalyst. Along the way, she has discovered a real love for teaching. With careful consideration for sensory sensitivity and the beautiful varieties of personage which can be found among creatives, Rhi encourages the development of essential skills in both digital and analogue art. Creativity as an essential method of personal expression; of communication; of community action.

“I’d recommend art to anyone: even, perhaps especially, if you make it, and show it to no-one.”

Our Wider Team: Artists, Makers & Designers

We are always looking to work with artists, makers and designers that are new to Creative Catalyst, as well as actively encouraging our alumni to work with us when paid opportunities arise within the organisation and beyond. By building relationships with our young people we are able to recognise their unique individual potential and place them in opportunities that are productive for all involved. Some of our alumni that have gone on to work with us include:

Alumni staff

Directors of Creative Catalyst