Ailsa Macfarlane – Director
Ailsa became BEFS Director in 2021, having joined BEFS as Policy & Strategy Manager in 2017. She previously managed the Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage project and worked for Museums Galleries Scotland.
Coming from a cultural-heritage project management background, running sector skills projects with a nationwide remit, Ailsa has wide-ranging experience with partnership working and stakeholder collaboration across the sector.
She has been responsible for complex work areas within BEFS such as responding to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, Prioritisation work – informing the Sustainable Investment Toolkit on behalf of the OPiT Built Heritage Investment Group, and aiding understanding of sector responses to crisis through CHERF.
Taking an inclusive and collaborative approach, with a passion for increasing sector sustainability, Ailsa distils complexity across policy landscapes, and focuses sector responses strategically; continually working in partnership to make sure the sector is well represented, well understood, and evidencing delivery across national strategies and performance frameworks.
Ailsa has an M.Litt from St Andrews University in Art History where she focused on architectural history both classical and vernacular.
Ailsa is a Fellow of the RSA, and Chair of the Advisory Group for the Travelling Gallery.
Email: amacfarlane@befs.org.uk
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