Comparisons are odious, of course, but sometimes they are inevitable.
And the tone and tenor of my first meeting with Janet Archer, the new chief executive of Creative Scotland, the body that financially supports hundreds of artistic companies and artists in Scotland, was noticeably different from that of her predecessor Andrew Dixon. He resigned in December after a fairly disastrous year for the body which he led and directed.
Mr Dixon, in official interviews such as the one Ms Archer held on Thursday in Creative Scotland's Waverly Gate offices in Edinburgh, was never far away from explanatory graphs, pie charts, and earnest explanations of broad-brush strategies, often enthusing about geographic locations and companies he had recently visited in Scotland. His vision of Creative Scotland, it seemed, was one of a quango that was also a creative powerhouse. It would take a top-down view, identify areas of Scotland's culture – geographically, or by age, or by genre – which it felt or believed to be underdeveloped or overlooked and would spend its money accordingly.
Hence we were promised Strategic Commissioning (which never happened) and saw initiatives inspired by locality, place and age. There was also a rather tin-eared emphasis on itself, from its ill-starred awards ceremony, a survey of how many MSPs knew what it was, to money spent on a glossy magazine which, in the end, has never been published.
Ms Archer, former head of dance for Arts Council England, is only two weeks into her new job but her conversation was very different. She talked of the body being a "servant" of artists and the public. She talked of being "humble", and of a lengthy period of listening and learning. Her sights, right now, are on what she calls "housekeeping": making sure the internal workings of Creative Scotland work and that its most important function (downplayed by the last administration), funding artists to make art, is straight forward, clear, and timely.
In person she is calm and reflective. Ms Archer's background is dance, and, perhaps cheesily, I did think some of her answers to questions were well choreographed in advance. But her words strike a tone, and anticipate a general approach, that leads one to imagine a wholly different style and operation of Creative Scotland in the coming years.
In my blog on The Herald's website, we print at greater length her quotes, including a bland reply to questions about her generous salary, but one or two comments particularly struck me. In answer to whether the Government gives Creative Scotland enough money, she said: "I don't know." And, perhaps most importantly, she spoke about Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and her recent, generally warmly received, speech on the value of arts and culture to Scotland and the Scottish Government. Translating Ms Hyslop's words into real policy? Well, Ms Archer, said: "I don't think it is straightforward." Indeed. And there's the rub.
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