No.5 Dorothy Wilson

Jul 18 2007 Power 50

Dorothy Wilson is one of the West Midlands best-known and experienced arts administrators.

She is artistic director and chief executive of Mac (Midlands Arts Centre) in Birmingham  and chair of Arts Council England, West Midlands, a member of the Arts Council National Council, a member of the Arts Council's Drama panel and a board member and former chair of the New Victoria Theatre, North Staffordshire.

A native of Northumberland, Dorothy studied music at the University of Wales and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. An oboist, she has continued to pursue her interests as a performer throughout her career.
 Dorothy spent 14 years working in various roles at West Midlands Arts, becoming assistant director in 1985 and deputy director in 1987.

In 1990 she moved to Mac, initially as programme director and deputy director. In 1998
she became director, and is currently also acting as project champion for the Mac/Sampad Building Project, a £20 million scheme to improve and extend Mac's facilities.
 This long-delayed scheme, which has been in development throughout the 21st century, is a partnership between Mac and South Asian arts development organisation Sampad which aims to rationalise and improve the complex of buildings which has grown up at Cannon Hill Park since the mid 1960s.

It suffered a major setback when Advantage West Midlands rejected an application for funding, but phase one has now received the green light. Unfortunately the most ambitious proposed new facility - a 450-seat theatre - has been removed from the plans with the hope that it can be revived in a subsequent phase.

During Dorothy Wilson's time as director, Mac has been conspicuous for the success of its multicultural programming and for the diverse audiences it attracts to a wide range of events, but in recent years the ageing facilities have become an increasing problem. Last year Dorothy joined other staff members in carrying out a do-it-yourself redecoration programme, something which required an unusual, if brief, period of closure.
 In addition to her work at Mac and the Arts Council, Dorothy has been instrumental in establishing a wide range of new initiatives delivering life-long learning, arts development, performance and exhibition opportunities to communities throughout the West Midlands.
 She was a founder Director of Sound It Out Community Music, DanceXchange, and the ground breaking artSites local arts development organisation. She is co-Director of aliss (the WM Artists and Learning Information and Support Service) and Chair of Sound Futures, Birmingham's Youth Music Action Zone and of MusicLeader West Midlands.
  She is also a board member and adviser to a wide range of organisations. She is chair of Artrix, Bromsgrove arts centre, a director of Motionhouse Dance Theatre, Belmont Arts Centre Shrewsbury and of Culture West Midlands, chair of Sound Futures (Birmingham Youth Music Action Zone) and of MusicLeader West Midlands.
 Dorothy also chairs the Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council's Music Sector Advisory Group.
 Dorothy is an associate of Pan-Leisure Consulting Ltd., and UK, Ireland and Scandinavia representative for the Alexander String Quartet (San Francisco).
 In 2005 she was made ITV Central's Midlander of the Year in the Arts and Media category, and received an honorary doctorate from UCE.