Ruth Wishart is a journalist and broadcaster. She is a trustee of the National Galleries of Scotland. She has previously served as chair of the CCA in Glasgow, a Governor of the Glasgow School of Art, a Council Member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, a member of the Scottish Advisory Committee of the British Council, and chair of Glasgow Common Purpose.
Sir Brian McMaster is a former director of the Edinburgh International Festival (1989-2006). He has also held a number of high profile jobs within the arts including director of Welsh National Opera. He is involved in judging a number of international arts competitions including Cardiff Singer of the Year.
Richard Chester is former flautist with the BBC Northern Ireland Ochestra, Principal Flute of the Scottish National Orchestra and Director of the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland. He is Vice-Chairman of the World Federation of Amateur Orchestras and Making Music Scotland and former Chairman of St Mary's Music School Edinburgh and of the Scottish Arts Council Music Committee.
Catherine Lockerbie is a former director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival (2001-2009). A distinguished journalist and critic she was a member of the team which won the bid for Edinburgh to become the first UNESCO City of Literature.
Donald MacDonald is a partner in MacDonald Orr and has been involved in many Scottish arts concerns, most notably the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Sheena Wellington is a singer from Dundee. A passionate and articulate advocate for traditional music, she has played a leading role in the fight for recognition, status and improved funding for Scotland's traditional arts.
Jean Urqhuart runs The Ceilidh Place in Ullapool, which, in addition to being a hotel and restaurant, runs an extensive arts programme and hosts a fine bookshop. She has been involved in many arts ventures both in the Highlands and Islands and the Central Belt including the inaugural Clyde Fair International.
Polly Rewt is an American-born academic with a profound knowledge of the arts whose work with the Open University has assisted many hundreds of students to realise their ambitions across a wide field of endeavour.
Lesley Thomson has served on the Scottish Arts Council and the boards of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet, where she was vice chair. She chairs The Arches in Glasgow, is a Trustee of the Scottish Ballet Endowment Fund and a member of the Steering Group for the Scotland Pakistan Network. Lesley is a Director of the Liddell Thomson Consultancy.
Jim Tough is Chief Executive of the Scottish Arts Council, where he was first appointed as Director of Combined Arts. His background is in community based arts, and, working with local residents in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh, he established the award winning WHALE arts project. His work at that time also involved developing several youth and adult theatre groups, establishing an international youth theatre exchange programme, and occasionally writing for stage.
Jill Miller is the Director of Cultural Services for Culture and Sport Glasgow. Jill is a graduate from the Scottish College of Textiles and has led a wide range of work with people in both the voluntary and the public sectors, primarily in the arts with the aim of engaging, exploring, learning and celebrating.
Susan Deacon is an independent adviser on public policy, leadership and change and is Professor of Social Change at Queen Margaret University. She is a member of various Boards, including Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre and charitable organisations in Scotland, the UK and Europe. Susan was formerly a Member of the Scottish Parliament and a Government Minister and has considerable experience of the development of arts policy and practice in Scotland.
The trustees are assisted in their work by a range of specialist assessors and mentors.