Undoubtably you will have seen our exciting news about our new directors, Giulia Montalbano and Adam Pushkin. We’ve posted a blog with a little more information about them and their backgrounds but you wanted to know more! Today we sat down with our directors to get your questions answered.

What attracted you both to the role of Director at the Barn in the first place?

Giulia – I have a feeling that the art sector is heading in a critical direction so I feel like there is an opportunity to increase the effort and the energy in making sure that the arts are always visible and being heard, both at a community level and at a wider political level. I feel like this is a great opportunity for me to be one of the many great pioneers in Scotland who are supporting that through our facilities, our environment and our community.

Adam – For me, I’ve lived in Banchory for two and a half years and the Barn has been one of the most exciting things about being here so the opportunity to be a part of the organisation was a no-brainer. The fact that the Barn is an arts organisation with ecology and environment written through its’ DNA is really appealing to me as the arts and the environment have always been huge interests to me. The opportunity to develop a programme and shape an organisation that tries to marry those two areas of focus is really exciting.

What’s first on the agenda?

Adam – First on the agenda is listening and learning. The Barn is an organisation which has been running for 30 years so there’s a huge amount for us to learn. There are many, many people in this community that have a relationships with the Barn, there are many other which don’t have a relationship with the Barn yet and we need to listen and perspectives from both sides. We need to listen to our existing team, who have been doing a terrific job for the last few years, we need to listen to the volunteers and to all the community groups around Banchory. The first thing on the agenda is not for us to come in and say “this is what we’re going to do!”. The first thing to do is listen and learn, and explore creatively with these constellations of communities, our team, and friends we haven’t made yet.

What do you envision for the Barn?

Giulia – As Adam already expressed, the team are doing a fantastic job so I think it’s just about continuing to empower the community and really reinforcing that this is a local space. I think there’s also the possibility to be heard a little bit further away, for people to realise that our community has so much to offer. The Barn was built by the local community and so that’s a key concept for us to go back to, making sure their ideas are heard and using that to shape our vision in a creative and fun way.

Which projects at the Barn are you most excited about?

Adam – We’re really excited about the Walled Garden project. It’s been a project that has evolved over many years and over the next few months is going to see a lot of change as we transform the space that is currently just a patch of ground into a walled garden which can be a space for growing, for learning, for artistic exploration and for collaboration between artists and communities.

If you'd like to learn more about the walled garden project, you can do so here.

Giulia, how would you describe Adam in three words?

We’ve only known each other for two weeks but in that time I’d say that Adam is innovative, reflective – which I feel I needed, and forward thinking.

Adam, how would you describe Giulia in three words?

Well anyone that knows me knows that I can’t reduce anything to just three words, but I’ll try. I think that Giulia is hugely imaginative, incredibly committed, and massive fun. And also, if I’m allowed a fourth, she’s a brilliant dancer and I’m a bit jealous.

With thanks to our Directors for taking time to speak with us, and a huge thank you to Mel Shand for the photos.