Shetland Arts Appoints New Director of Creativity and Impact

This key senior management role will see Catriona oversee the delivery of all artistic and creative activity, including learning and outreach programmes. She will also play a pivotal role in driving Shetland Arts’ ambition to deliver social impact through the arts. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, she will help shape the organisation’s vision.

Catriona Macdonald is internationally recognised as one of Shetland’s foremost fiddle players and composers. Raised in Lerwick, she began her musical journey under the guidance of Dr Tom Anderson as part of Shetland’s Young Heritage, before going on to become a founding member of Scotland’s major fiddle ensemble Blazin’ Fiddles and creator of the US Grammy-nominated international super-group String Sisters.

Alongside her performance career, Catriona is a dedicated educator and researcher. She is currently Professor of Practice and Degree Programme Director for the BA in Folk and Traditional Music course at Newcastle University. She recently completed a Creative Practice PhD, ‘Singing’ da Reels’: Recovering and Revoicing a Cultural History of Women’s Roles in the Vernacular Fiddle Traditions of the Shetland Islands (1774–1950), which shines a vital light on women’s contributions to Shetland’s musical heritage.

Catriona will officially take up her role in December 2025, after finishing up her work commitments in Newcastle.
‘I am so excited to come back home to Shetland, the place that formed my creative self and continues to deeply inspire me as a musician, composer and academic. I’m looking forward to meeting the various artistic communities, and their audiences, in order to listen and learn about the aspirations they have for their art forms in Shetland today. That will be my starting point, and I hope to bring to Shetland Arts the national and international networks and experiences I have gained while biding away from Shetland, in order to have exciting, fruitful and creative conversations that will feed into future development of Shetland Arts programming and impact in the islands and beyond in the coming years.’ - Catriona Macdonald

Chief Executive, Graeme Howell welcomed the appointment, saying:
‘We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Catriona back to Shetland in this key leadership role. Her deep roots in our islands, combined with her outstanding international reputation and commitment to education, creativity, and cultural heritage, make her the perfect person to guide the next chapter of Shetland Arts. We look forward to the vision, energy and inspiration she will bring as we continue to grow the impact of the arts across our community and beyond.’