"Progress often comes from steady action rather than sudden breakthroughs."
Who are you and what do you do?
Blair Parham MBE. Director of Scotia Arts, Creative Director of Fresh Ayr Music Festival and Director of Music at the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra.
What drew you to your role and what keeps you interested in this work?
I started as a teacher and musician, and I have always enjoyed bringing people together through music and performance. Over time I realised I was just as interested in building opportunities as taking part in them. Creating festivals, education programmes, and performance projects lets me help artists, young people, and communities experience something meaningful together.
What keeps me interested is that no two projects are the same. One day I am planning a festival, the next I am working on education programmes or supporting musicians and cultural organisations to grow.
There is always a new challenge to solve and new people to work with. Seeing audiences enjoy an event or watching young performers gain confidence reminds me why the work matters. When a project works well, it benefits artists, local communities, and audiences at the same time, and that makes the effort worthwhile.
What's one thing about your industry most outsiders get wrong?
Many people think arts organisations are fully funded or heavily subsidised, when in reality most survive through constant juggling of budgets, sponsorship, and volunteer effort. Audiences often see a finished concert or festival, but not the months of planning, fundraising, marketing, and risk behind it.
Margins are tight, and one bad year can seriously hurt an organisation. The sector runs on dedication from people who believe culture matters. Greater understanding of the work behind events would help people see why supporting live arts locally makes such a difference.
If you could give our readers one piece of advice, what would it be?
Start before you feel ready.
Most opportunities arrive before you think you have the skills or confidence for them. You learn by doing, making mistakes, and improving as you go. Waiting for perfect timing usually means missing chances that could move you forward.
Say yes, work hard, ask for help when needed, and keep showing up. Progress often comes from steady action rather than sudden breakthroughs, and small consistent steps build results faster than people expect.
How can our readers keep up to date with what you have happening?
The best way to keep up with what I am doing is through Fresh Ayr and the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra channels, where upcoming concerts and festival news are shared regularly.
You can also find updates about Scotia Arts projects, including the Scottish Music Academy, through our websites and social media pages.
We are always working on new events, education programmes, and collaborations, so there is usually something new happening throughout the year.
