The purpose of Shetland Arts is to place the arts at the heart of Shetland, to educate, promote, support and develop the practice and enjoyment of the arts by all.

Shetland Arts promotes a year round programme of music, dance, drama, new media, film, literature, visual art and craft.

We own, and or, run a range of facilities and act as promoter for other arts and cultural organisations from across Scotland. We own and run Mareel, a multi arts venue & cinema and Bonhoga Gallery and cafe. We own The Booth which is managed by WASPS and provides space and accommodation for artist residencies. We run the Garrison theatre, owned by the Shetland Charitable Trust, which hosts professional and community drama performances.

Our Vision
Our vision is for a creative, connected Shetland that values art and culture and the transformative impact it has.

Shetland Arts as an Impact Organisation
Shetland Arts has always been committed to the promotion and education of the arts since we were established in 2006. We are an impact organisation - we focus not only on putting on great events, but on making a real difference to the people and communities across Shetland.

To make sure we’re on the right track, we measure the impact of our work based on six key social outcomes.

Our focus is on improving:

  1. Quality of Life – through greater access to creative and social experiences.
  2. Opportunities – through developing new skills.
  3. Confidence – through opportunities for self-expression and community involvement.
  4. Inclusion & Equality – through an appreciation for diverse cultures and lifestyles.
  5. Mental & Physical Health – through active involvement in creative and social experiences.
  6. Community Resilience – through diverse creative economy.

Through these outcomes, we are committed to ensuring that our activities have a positive, long-term impact on the people and communities we serve.

We’re here to support creative people; we believe that creativity is an important part of everybody’s life, no matter who you are, where you live or what you do. Our challenge is to enable and empower our communities, groups and individuals to fulfil their creative potential.

Art is a gift. It has the power to lift us up, to help us find expression and self belief and to make a profoundly positive difference to our lives.