Volunteers
Check out our team of dedicated volunteers helping to make the Urban Tree Festival happen!
Caroline Bourne is a keen urbanist with a background in urban design and regeneration. She worked for the Civic Trust and the London Borough of Camden before setting up SharedCity in 2012 to showcase the communities of London through creative walks and talks.
She continues to work as a freelancer and has worked on town centre and green space revitalisation projects across the UK, as well as undertaking research in North America and Japan. She loves walking her dog in London's amazing green spaces and exploring new parts of the country whenever possible. She has been a volunteer with the festival since April 2020 and is assisting with marketing. Follow her @sharedcity or @carolinewonders.
Rachele Markle has worked in communications for Amnesty International and PEP the Hague before moving to Edinburgh to pursue her masters at Edinburgh Napier University, studying Tourism Destination Management with a focus on current socio-cultural issues and sustainability. She has lived, studied and volunteered internationally in Scotland, The Netherlands, Japan, and the mountains of Upstate New York where she grew up, which has fostered a passion for the outdoors, art and culture.
After her studies, Rachele hopes to continue living abroad and to work in the public sector at the benefit of local communities.
Born in Hong Kong, Erica Cham moved to Edinburgh to complete an undergrad in Music and a Masters in International Festival and Event Management. She currently works as the Entertainment and Events admin in the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, and is responsible for implementing events that range from conferences to theatre shows and club nights.
Erica finds it interesting that the Urban Tree Festival is happening virtually. This seemed like a juxtaposition at first, but she has since learned the online festival works in its balance between technology, society, and nature.
She hopes to continue learning in her path of event management, while branching out into the thrilling world of the entertainment industry!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericacham/
Ross Findlay is a soon-to-be graduate of the Edinburgh Napier Festival and Events Management programme and works as a freelance event coordinator. Having worked at and attended many open-air events, Ross is a major advocate of utilising green-space to it’s full potential to enhance the experience and connect with nature.
Asides from his work in events, Ross is a passionate musician and has often drawn upon the natural sources around him in parks and botanical gardens for inspiration.
Alana Cook is a current postgraduate student at Edinburgh Napier University studying International Festival and Event Management.
Her background in the performing arts and undergraduate degree in Musical Theatre lead her to her current post as Head of Singing at the Theatre School of Scotland, teaching children of all ages.
Since this promotion, she was also awarded the role of Event’s Co-ordinator at the Theatre School of Scotland and assists in the organising of theatre shows and events. During the festival Alana has been helping with communications and is excited to be volunteering for the Urban Tree Festival.
Chun Zhang has a varied background in administration in the creative industries. She is currently studio coordinator at Tonkin Liu architects, where she has worked for two years.
In her spare time she enjoys printmaking, learning languages and going for long bike rides.
You can take a look at her website here.
“My name is Natalia Starikova, I am from Ukraine, and I am currently studying at Goldsmiths University for Media & Communications. I work part-time as journalist for a news outlet, and freelance as a social media manager. Aside from my media-related interests, I have a profound interest in the essence of life, death, and nature. One of my biggest spiritual influences is Ram Dass, whose wisdom allowed me to reconnect with my inner self and enriched my existence.”
Natalia Jurken is a Master Student on Edinburgh Napier University. Initially from Poland, currently living in Scotland. She is passionate about the festivals industry. She enjoys evening walks and cycle rides next to the seaside.
John Humphries has a diverse background in event management and organisation. He has been working in the industry for 6 years and has been a contributing team member in the production of a diverse range of events, with a focus on supporting arts and live music. John is currently working to obtain a masters degree in International Festival and Event Management at Edinburgh Napier University.
In 2016, John established Valley of the Arts festival, with the aim of celebrating traditional craft and culture in native Irish woodlands. His work here assisted local artists to gain recognition for their work and promote themselves in the public sphere.
Find out more about Valley of the Arts festival.
Sarah Roig is born in September 1999, in Palma de Mallorca in Spain. She is a second-year Goldsmiths University of London BA Media and Comms, specifying in Creative Writing.
She has worked with artists and as PRR and social media manager of two nightclubs in Mallorca. Sarah has recently published writer of her first novel, ”No Price, No Time” and has a blog online we’re she posts her poetry, at: https://rawpoetryforyou.wordpress.com/
Amalie Britton is currently studying Media and Communications at Goldsmiths UOL. She specialises in journalism, however enjoys content creation, marketing and social media.
She plans to evolve into social media marketing and public relations after completing her studies.
