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Can Meta, the UN and Sky Save the Edinburgh Festival? EIF Seems to Think So

1 Aug 2025

As the curtain rises on this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, the Festival’s Board marked the occasion with a rousing chorus of Strategic Realignment in E Major, announcing the appointment of five new trustees. Between them, they have mastered international diplomacy, financial regulation, corporate partnerships, digital policy and, presumably, the delicate art of nodding politely through sponsorship decks. The festival programme may be full of singers, dancers and theatrical visionaries – but offstage, it seems to be all about actuarial tables and broadband.

The EIF now has enough boardroom firepower to launch a mid-sized nation-state

Let’s meet the cast, shall we? Andrew Gilmour spent three decades at the United Nations wrangling peace and human rights, which should prepare him nicely for negotiating egos at late-night receptions. Lyn McDonald OBE ran the Scotland Office, meaning she has extensive experience pretending Holyrood and Westminster get along. Michelle Reglinski hails from Comcast and Sky, where her role as Chief Revenue and Partnerships Officer almost certainly means she speaks fluent Brand. John Taylor is a former President of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, which means he brings a rare skill to the arts – counting. And then there’s Chris Yiu from Meta, formerly of Uber and the Tony Blair Institute, a man whose CV reads like a tech bro’s fever dream and whose idea of cultural engagement may well involve explaining the algorithm to a string quartet.

According to EIF Chair Sir Keith Skeoch, this “distinguished group” will help the Festival honour its legacy while embracing opportunity. Which is trustee-speak for: “We’re going to talk a lot about digital transformation while quietly hoping someone under 40 buys a ticket.” He insists this is a “pivotal moment” as EIF gears up for its 80th anniversary in 2027 – a milestone that, judging by this list, seems to require more corporate strategy than artistic flair.

The subtext is not subtle. Arts organisations are scrambling to remain relevant, solvent and vaguely accessible in a post-pandemic, algorithm-addled world. The EIF is no exception. Its answer? Hire people who’ve advised governments, regulated banks and monetised content across continents. One wonders how many have voluntarily sat through three hours of Belgian interpretive mime at the Traverse, but no matter – governance is in safe hands.

This influx of expertise may indeed bring sharper strategy and global clout to an organisation that wants to be more than a summer arts showcase. But it is hard not to notice what’s missing from this announcement: a single mention of artists, or audiences, or what any of this might mean for the people who queue in a drizzle on the Royal Mile hoping for transcendent magic and get a soprano in a wetsuit instead.

Still, if you want your festival to run like a hedge fund with a harp section, this is how you do it. The EIF now has enough boardroom firepower to launch a mid-sized nation-state. Let’s just hope someone in the room still remembers why people go to the theatre in the first place.

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