Creative Scotland CEO highlights regret at being unable to gain support of "established voices" as he resigns
Creative Scotland’s chief executive Andrew Dixon is to stand down in order for the organisation to undertake a “change of direction".
Dixon, who joined Creative Scotland in May 2010, will leave his role in January 2013. He was previously chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative and chief executive of Northern Arts.
Sir Sandy Crombie, chair of Creative Scotland, commented: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Andrew for his stewardship of Creative Scotland since its inception. As a new organisation with an extensive remit, there have been inevitable challenges during this period and Andrew has consistently led the organisation with energy, passion and enthusiasm. He has also taken every opportunity to be a vociferous champion and advocate for Scottish arts and culture.”
In a statement, Dixon stated his pride since merging Scottish Arts Council with Scottish Screen: “We have delivered new resources for the arts and established strong partnerships with local authorities, broadcasters and many other agencies. The Year of Creative Scotland, The Guide to Scotland’s Festivals, a new capital programme, the Creative Place Awards and the recent Luminate festival have shown the potential for all parts of Scotland to play a part in the creativity of the nation.”
He however stated his ‘disappointment’ at being unable to “gain the respect and support of some of the more established voices in Scottish culture,” which he added he hoped would be solved through his resignation.
An interim chief executive is expected to be named before a full-time successor is put in place.
An open letter written by Scottish artists including Ian Rankin and Dave Anderson was sent to Crombie earlier this year criticising the running of the organisation.