Gica is a teaching artist and independent music practitioner and has worked in community arts and voluntary sector for 25 years. She is founder of Makin a Brew, a music and storytelling project for vulnerable families in North Edinburgh, and currently directs Fun Fiddle, a music project for children and adults. She worked with Feis Ros to devise an online traditional music resource for nursery schools, and was part of the Scots Music Group’s Inspire project, working with vulnerable groups in Edinburgh.
She is experienced in leading and devising CPD workshops for practitioners, and was Workshops and Education manager at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. She is a board member of Edinburgh Youth Music Forum.
An experienced fiddle player and music group leader, she performs with and is founder of Edinburgh’s Belle Star Band, Celter Schmelter Klezmer Trio, and The Ladies Guerilla String Quartet
Gica graduated from Edinburgh University with an MSc in ‘Music in the Community’ and a PG Diploma in Health Education, (Leeds).
She has led research projects around local communities, the arts, and regeneration, including Sistema Scotland, ABC Creative Music, and Scots Music Knowledge Exchange and has published papers in the International Journal of Community Music, Journal of Education Policy, and ‘Sounding Board’ , community music journal.
Gica lives in Portobello, Edinburgh, and has 3 boys, a husband, and a cat! She loves gardening, cycling, and living by the sea.