The director for dance art the Art Council of England, Janet Archer, will be the new chief executive of Creative Scotland.
Ms Archer, who will take up her post on July 1, has worked extensively with projects in Scotland and currently chairs the artists-led organisation, The Work Room, based at Tramway in Glasgow and has supported the British Council in programming their showcases in Edinburgh.
Her appointment to the arts funding body, which distributes £80m a year in government and Lottery funds, comes six months after the resignation of Andrew Dixon.
Ms Archer is described as having a broad knowledge of the wider arts and creative industries sector, having recently been involved in developing Arts Council England's ten year framework for the arts: Achieving Great Art For Everyone. She also led the team that delivered the State of the Arts 2012 conference: Artists Shaping the World.
Prior to joining Arts Council England she was chief executive and artistic director of Dance City, the Newcastle based National Dance Agency, where she project managed their £7.6m capital development.
A former dancer and choreographer, she set up and was artistic director of the Nexus Dance Company. At Arts Council England she conceived the "Dance Mapping" project which looked at the work, challenges and opportunities of over 1400 practitioners, companies and promoters throughout England.
She said of her new role: "I am thrilled and excited at the chance to take on this important role for the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland.
"The passion and intelligence emerging out of recent debate has reinforced the vital role that Creative Scotland has to play as a partner and facilitator.
"These conversations are evidence of a genuine dynamic at work in the country, and a real desire to make the best use of the fantastic resources of intellectual and human capital available to us.
"I'm simply delighted to have the opportunity to contribute towards Scotland's creative future and look forward to working with people everywhere to unlock talent, drive opportunity, and grow artistic and cultural capital for this amazingly ambitious nation."
Fiona Hyslop, culture secretary, said: "I am pleased that Creative Scotland's board has chosen Janet Archer as the new chief executive. There was unprecedented interest in the post and a very strong and diverse range of candidates, demonstrating the high regard in which Scottish culture and creative excellence is rightly held.
"Janet has worked across the wider arts and creative industries with a recent focus on the quality of arts leadership and increasing access to culture for all. She has a clear understanding of the context of cultural provision in Scotland, in addition to extensive experience in the field of dance.
"She will be key to driving forward Creative Scotland's work to increase the appreciation and celebration of Scotland's cultural achievements and rich creative talent, both in this country and internationally."
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