Dorothy Wilson MBE FRSA (Chair)

Dorothy Wilson MBE FRSA was educated in Northumberland and won scholarships to the University of Wales and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. Throughout her career, Dorothy has continued to pursue her interests as a performer. From 1990 till 2016 she was Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham (MAC). Before taking up her role at MAC she spent 14 years at West Midlands Arts, including seven years as deputy director, working across a range of art forms. For seven years until late 2009 she chaired the West Midlands regional Arts Council and served on the national board of Arts Council England.

She is currently chair of the boards of a number of charitable organisations, including Making Music and Grand Union Arts CIO as well as the Independent Cinema Office and a member of the board of The MAC arts centre, Belfast. She was founder chair of sector-led development agency Culture Central, a Council member of Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Chair of Motionhouse Dance Company. Dorothy is an associate of The Leisure Consultancy Ltd, and UK, Ireland and Scandinavia representative for the Alexander String Quartet (San Francisco).

Dorothy holds honorary doctorate degrees from Birmingham City University, the University of Birmingham and Warwick University. She is a Fellow of Worcester University and acts as Independent Chair of the Worcestershire Dementia Centres Strategy Committee. Dorothy now runs her own bespoke consultancy focusing on organisational development and change in the cultural sector.