Museums Galleries Scotland appoints new chair

Museums Galleries Scotland, the national development body for the sector, has appointed DUNCAN DORNAN as its new chair of the board.

Dornan recently retired from Glasgow Life, where he was head of museums and collections.

In that role he was instrumental in the planning and delivery of many of Glasgow’s major museum projects and initiatives, including the £68.25m refurbishment of the Burrell Collection, winner of the 2023 Art Fund Museum of the Year award.

His previous roles include general manager at the National Museum of Rural Life as well as positions in education at Aberdeen College and Norfolk College.

Dornan is the lead of Voice of Culture and Leisure Managers in Scotland (VOCAL) and a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) UK Committee.

He will take up his new role in January 2025.

Dornan said: “I am delighted to be joining MGS as chair of the board.

“Having worked with the organisation for many years, I am conscious of the impact MGS has on the museum sector, promoting professional standards, innovation, and sustainability.

“Given the challenges the sector currently faces, there may never have been a greater need for this support.”

STEPH SCHOLTEN, chair of the Museums Galleries Scotland board nominations committee, said Dornan “brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the Scottish museum sector, which is crucial for advocating for the sector in these precarious times”.

She added: “He will be a significant asset in guiding the national development body’s efforts to create a sustainable museums and galleries sector.”