New arts body adds geography to mix for hiring three development directors

CREATIVE Scotland is to appoint development directors to cover regions of the country as well as art forms in a bid to invest in "ideas, people, and places", chief executive Andrew Dixon said at the weekend.

Interviews began last week for three directors of creative development for the new body who will work under Mr Dixon. "We are recruiting a team. We will divide up responsibilities once we have people in place. Key people will take a view of the sectors and we will have specialists below that," he said.

"We want people to take responsibility for places. People might have a specialism in dance or film but equally they will have a portfolio that includes a responsibility for a part of the country," he said.

The new concept was devised before he was appointed to the job in February but he has embraced it, he said. He announced a 500,000 "Highland Arts Programme" at the weekend, cited as an example of a regional approach reaching across arts disciplines.

The multi-artform package ranged from 85,000 for a touring theatre production to six new public art commissions and 80,000 marketing and communications strategy for the Highlands cultural sector.

It includes 300,000 from Creative Scotland's Innovation Fund and 100,000 each from Highland Council, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.