RIG ARTS - Key Persons


Beth Duffy

Job Titles:
  • Admin
  • Fundraising Assistant
Beth graduated from West College Scotland with a HNC in Fashion Make-Up in 2018. Since then she has gained experience working in a variety of roles in admin, hospitality and the creative industry. She is bringing all of her experience and passion to the RIG team by supporting administrative and fundraising projects.

David Blane

Job Titles:
  • Finance & Funding Volunteer
David is a volunteer with RIG Arts and uses his background in finance with Cloch Housing Association to offer accounting and auditing support to RIG Arts. David also assists with smaller funding requests and keeps the office laughing with his witty sense of humour.

Doris Walker

Job Titles:
  • Education Director
Doris is a retired teacher who currently runs a physics equipment business with her husband in Inverclyde. Doris is also an active member of the Greenock Art Club and a very talented painter.

Helen McCormick

Job Titles:
  • Business Innovation Director
  • Regional Development Manager for Entrepreneurial Scotland
Helen is a Regional Development Manager for Entrepreneurial Scotland and has had a varied career path; she had several senior leadership positions in IBM, was Chief Executive of Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce and has ran her own innovation consultancy business. Helen has an MBA from The University of Strathclyde.

Ian Wilson

Job Titles:
  • Business Development Director
Ian studied at Edinburgh Napier University and is a keen painter who worked as an Engineer and Business Development manager for IBM UK Ltd. Ian uses his business skills to ensure RIG Arts continues to develop and explore potential new opportunities.

Jason Orr

Job Titles:
  • Creative Director
RIG Arts was the concept of Jason Orr and as a co founder he continues to volunteer his time as the Creative Director of RIG Arts developing its arts strategy and ensuring the calibre of its work. Jason is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art gaining a BA Hons in fine Art from Environmental art specialising in installation and public sculpture. He was also awarded a Polish Government Post Graduate scholarship in 1994. He continues to be a practising artist and through his love of film and media he has developed a career as a freelance Art Director, Designer and Prop Master for the UK TV & Film Industry. Jason has worked on many award winning productions.

Jim Strachan

Job Titles:
  • Fine Art Director
Jim is a figurative painter from the west coast of Scotland focusing on the paint techniques of the old masters who studied at Glasgow School of Art before going on to be a professional practicing artist. Jim has substantial experience working with vulnerable adults and young people including roles within the mental health field, and currently takes a self soothing art class in RIG Arts studio for young people who suffer with various challenges including mental ill health.

Karen Patton Orr - CEO

Job Titles:
  • CEO
  • Co - Founder of RIG Arts and a Graduate of Glasgow School of Art
Karen is a co-founder of RIG Arts and a graduate of Glasgow School of Art and the academy of Fine Art, Poznan, Poland. She gained an MBA with distinction from Glasgow Caledonian University whilst working for IBM UK Ltd. Karen has combined her background of fine art and business to bring many successful art education projects to the wider community. Karen is a practising artist and currently manages RIG Arts.

Karlyn Fergusson

Job Titles:
  • Fundraising Officer
Karlyn is a graduate of Glasgow University with an honours degree in English Literature. She utilises this degree as a fundraiser for RIG, researching and completing funding applications. Whilst at RIG she has successfully secured funding towards a range of projects including ‘Up The Broomy' and ‘Heid O' The Hill'.

Laura Donnelly - Treasurer

Job Titles:
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
Laura is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art's Drawing & Painting department, and later gained an MA in Film Making from Goldsmiths, University of London. Laura continues to be connected with fine arts practice and works as a freelance Production Designer for the UK TV & Film industry.

Lesley McLaren

Job Titles:
  • Music Director
Lesley is a professional drummer and has been playing live for over 26 years. In that time she has toured America & Europe extensively and supported many of her favourite musicians along the way - The Rolling Stones (Isle of Wight Festival) & the Sex Pistols (Glasgow SECC) being two such examples. She has played most of the major UK music festivals and venues and has also played the infamous SXSW festival in Texas, USA. She has performed at Tartan Week in New York, played to 25,000 at a major music festival in Quebec, Canada and covered Toronto twice. She has packed in dates up and down California from a huge show at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to beach bars down in San Diego. Over the years, she has appeared on BBC Radio and TV playing live sessions (Janice Long Show and Jeremy Vine Show, both Radio 2). She has appeared on countless radio stations abroad and also played on live on STV & RTE 1 with various bands. Lesley toured with Clare Grogan's Altered Images for 9 years until 2020. She has played with Glasgow's noir-pop purveyors, Lola in Slacks for 7 years releasing an album with them in 2021 whist also playing with The Revel Sparks (functions), Scottish pop band Broken Chanter and punk/pop outfit, The Hedrons. When she's not performing she teaches drums via her successful drum school "Hit Squad", based at Rig Arts, Greenock to children and young people.