TWO critics of the past policies of the nation's main arts funding body, Creative Scotland, will help choose its new chief executive.

Vicky Featherstone, former artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, and award-winning author Janice Galloway – who last year said "something is wrong at the heart" of Creative Scotland – will be on the interview panel for the body's new chief executive.

Creative Scotland's board said it had finally agreed to the process of appointing a successor to Andrew Dixon, who resigned last year after a year of criticism and protest.

The post will be advertised later this month, and interviews will take place before the end of April. The salary for the post has yet to be determined, a spokeswoman said, although Mr Dixon was paid £130,000.

Until then, Iain Munro, director of creative development, which distributes around £80 million in Government and National Lottery funds, is essentially in the lead position at the body.

A statement from Creative Scotland said: "Following the search for suitable applicants, a shortlist will be compiled and interviewed by a panel.

"The make-up of the interview panel reflects the board's recently stated commitment to be inclusive of the communities it serves."

It includes Ms Featherstone, who is now the director of the Royal Court Theatre in London, Ms Galloway, Fiona Dalgetty, musician and chief executive of Fèis Rois, and Chris van der Kuyl, chief executive of digital company Brightsolid.

The panel will be led by Sir Sandy Crombie, chairman of the Creative Scotland Board, and will also include board members Peter Cabrelli, Steve Grimmond and Ruth Wishart and a representative of the Scottish Government.

Prior to this, in the week beginning February 18, the senior management team will announce dates and locations for a series of open sessions to take place in March and April.

Around March 4, the board also intend to publish an "action plan for the process of change" at the body over the next year.