Q&A | ‘Glasgow has always been at the forefront of contemporary innovation’

Susan Deighan recently announced her retirement from her role as chief executive of Glasgow Life after 18 years at the charity, which she helped to create in 2007.

She was appointed chief executive in April 2022 after holding several senior positions, including deputy chief executive and director of city marketing and external relations.

The organisation oversees the city's culture, leisure and sport services on behalf of the council and works to give everybody in Glasgow a chance to access cultural endeavours, grassroots community work and large-scale sporting events. Museums Journal caught up with Deighan to find out more about her time at the charity. 

What achievement are you most proud of from your time at Glasgow Life?

It’s hard to hold on to just one achievement. I was involved in the creation of Glasgow Life so I've been involved with the organisation for over 20 years now. I suppose what I am most proud of is actually Glasgow Life itself and the ability to bring together everything that makes life worth living in Glasgow. That's to say, going to museums, visiting your local library, going to an event, taking part in physical activity. It really is a privilege to have been involved with it over the past 20 years.

Why do you think the trust was such an important and necessary initiative to create in the first place?

Glasgow Life is part of that ambition that Glasgow has always had for its culture and its heritage. We were always a big and very successful part of the city council. Creating Glasgow Life has enabled the organisation to continue to grow and continue to deliver amazing activities, events, and opportunities for participation.

We all know that museums and heritage are one of the biggest drivers for visits to the city. So it has allowed us to successfully continue to grow and make sure that they're at the heart of everything that Glasgow projects to the rest of the world. 

How have you supported museums and the culture sector through your time at Glasgow Life?

The most recent example was the redevelopment of the Burrell Collection which then led on to become the 2023 Art Fund Museum of the Year and won the 2024 RIAS Andrew Doolan award for Scotland’s best building. I was very much part of the project team, working alongside everybody through very challenging times like Covid.

It has gone on to grow and host the most amazing Discovering Degas exhibition which attracted over 40,000 visitors and brought loans in from throughout the world. I also have been involved in getting the People's Palace project up and started.

At the moment, we're working with the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Glasgow City Council to look at the role of culture and heritage as being drivers for the regeneration of Glasgow's iconic Sauchiehall Street. 

What would you say are the biggest challenges that the charity has faced during your tenure?

I think anybody in the public sector or anybody in the UK would say that dealing with the impact of Covid has been hugely challenging. Not being able to welcome the public into our venues, and then later encouraging and giving people the confidence to come back was a real challenge.

I'm delighted to say that we had nearly four million visitors to our museums last year and so people are coming back and they are delighted that our museums provide that safe space for reflection and the space to experience some of the best arts and culture in the world.

Any organisation that requires public funding also recognises that public funding is very challenging, but Glasgow Life has managed to achieve a balanced budget and our income now continues to grow along with our levels of participation. I don't think that Glasgow is any different to any other city in the UK with the challenges it’s facing, but Glasgow is ambitious and that is one of the things that drives us forward. 

Why do you think your strategy was effective in achieving stability for the trust and global recognition for Glasgow?

The global recognition is for the museums, the heritage, the events, the activities and the programmes that we are responsible for on behalf of the city, everything from the amazing Degas exhibition at the Burrell to hosting Banksy last year. All of these things are about because Glasgow is innovative.

We take risks, but we also take our challenges seriously, and we look at new and innovative ways to deliver things. Where can we do things differently? How do we think things differently, and how do we make sure we deliver the best for Glasgow and its citizens? I have an amazing team here. I think anybody who leads an organisation like Glasgow Life has to recognise that you are absolutely relying on the team that you have around you. 

How do you hope for the world to perceive Glasgow?

Glasgow-born Jasleen Kaur just won the Turner Prize. Her exhibition that’s now at the Tate was hosted at Tramway in Glasgow. So Glasgow has always been at the forefront of contemporary innovation and culture while retaining its strong heritage.

I think Glasgow is known throughout the world as an innovative city, as a creative city, as a cultural city, and a city that can project Scotland onto the world stage. We're about to launch Celtic Connections which will further embed Glasgow as a cultural centre and a reason to come visit Scotland. 

What is your hope for the future of Glasgow Life and the city more generally?

As a passionate Glaswegian, I know that Glasgow will continue to celebrate and to value its culture and its heritage. I am really pleased to be able to hand the baton over to somebody with some financial stability for the organisation.

We've consulted widely in the city for a new cultural strategy so we're now working across the sector and city to take that forward. All of these things mean that there is a strong, confident, ambitious platform for Glasgow to continue to grow its culture and heritage. That is always there for our citizens. They’re our raison d'etre. That's why we're here: for people to come and take part.