Following an open recruitment process, Ben Torrie joins Creative Scotland as Head of Theatre from January 2026, making the move from Aberdeen Performing Arts.
Ben Torrie brings two decades of experience in the culture and creative sector to Creative Scotland, having spent 18 years at Aberdeen Performing Arts, 12 of those as the Director of Programming and Creative Projects.
Highly respected within the sector, Ben has shown strong leadership in responding swiftly through the changing landscape of Covid-19, funding and cost-of-living pressures. His experience brings a strong understanding of regional cultural need and extensive experience in identifying and initiating improvements in inclusivity and diversity. This will be invaluable in his new role at Creative Scotland, charting the way forward for theatre in the wider culture and creative landscape.
Welcoming the appointment, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland, Paul Burns said: “Ben brings a huge amount of knowledge and experience to the role, acquired through his work with Aberdeen Performing Arts, the boards of Culture Aberdeen and, previously, Federation of Scottish Theatre.
“Through the recruitment process we were particularly struck by Ben’s detailed understanding of Scottish theatre and his empathy with artists working across the country. I’m looking forward to working with him to support the diverse range of work being made in Scotland to flourish.”
Speaking on his appointment, Ben said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the team at Creative Scotland in the role of Head of Theatre. Scotland has a rich and vital theatre sector with huge talent and potential. I am very much looking forward to collaborating with colleagues from all parts of the industry to collectively embrace the opportunities and challenges of the coming years.”
Ben begins his role on January 5, 2026, following the move of Creative Scotland’s previous Head of Theatre, Laura Mackenzie-Stuart, to job sharing as the new Head of International along with Lorna Duguid.
