Arts / Shetland Arts chief confident Mareel staffing crisis is over
Graeme Howell spoke exclusively to Shetland News about Bonhoga, funding and lack of accountability claims
SHETLAND Arts is confident it will return to a full staffing complement this week – allowing the Mareel café/bar to open more frequently again.
Chief executive Graeme Howell said it had “not been an easy period” for the trust or its staff, with the café shut for up to four days a week in recent months.
The arts organisation has continually come in for criticism because of the staff shortages, with some people on social media urging them to offer more money in a bid to entice workers.
But Howell dismissed those claims, telling Shetland News they were “not the only hospitality business that is struggling to find staff”.
In an exclusive interview, the Shetland Arts chief executive spoke at length about:
- The ‘disappointing’ closure of Bonhoga art gallery during the summer tourist season
- An increased grant of £1.05 million from Shetland Charitable Trust for the year ahead
- Accusations of a lack of accountability following the trust’s latest AGM
- Whether he is still the right person to lead the organisation
Howell said it is “not an easy period in Shetland in terms of staffing,” he said.
“The hospitality sector in Scotland is significantly struggling for staff.
“We sit at this kind of uncomfortable crossroads of hospitality and of being in Shetland.
“We also can’t use our funding to disrupt the marketplace. We can’t subsidise the café in that way, it’s not that straightforward.”
Howell said Shetland Arts was offering hourly rates of £12 for customer service staff, which will increase to £12.60 from April.
He added that if the charity was to increase the salaries, “I’m sure you would be writing stories about how expensive a cinema ticket was”.
“I think the team has done an incredible job of managing to stay open, and providing a service in Shetland at a time when others have unfortunately had to close up shop,” he added.
Howell believes Shetland Arts will be fully recruited following job interviews that were held last Friday, and will be open to open the café on the same hours as it was over the summer.
One potential solution that was floated online was for Shetland Arts to outsource the café, and to have an existing operator rent it from them.
Howell admitted the arts agency had “considered franchising the space on and off” since he arrived in Shetland in 2014.
But he said that “franchising it doesn’t change the challenges around staffing” being felt around the isles.
The lack of a café at Mareel at times over the last few months also comes in a year in which the Bonhoga art gallery and cafe, in Kergord, has been closed for a major refurbishment.
Its doors were shut in late 2023 for the work, with the initial hope for the building to reopen through this year.
However in March Shetland Arts admitted Bonhoga would not be open again until 2025 – missing a bumper tourist season.
Howell said it was “disappointing” they had not been able to welcome people in this year.
“It was disappointing for us. I think it was disappointing for the artists we support through Bonhoga and the communities that make use of Bonhoga,” he said.
However, he said it was “an old building”, adding: “You’ve got to take advantage to secure these facilities for the future when you can”.
He refused to be drawn on when it could be reopened, saying they had just closed the tender process.
“There’s conversations to be had with the builders yet,” he said.
“We’re at the hands of the building trade in Shetland.”
Shetland Arts has received a substantial uplift in funding for the year to come from Shetland Charitable Trust, with £1 million coming its way for the next financial year.
That is up from £752,400 in 2024/25 and, as Howell pointed out, an “over 74 per cent increase in funding” since 2021.
Asked what case Shetland Arts made for the increased funding, Howell said there was no “significant change in direction from them”.
“It’s a fantastic endorsement from the charitable trust,” he said.
“We’re very grateful for their investment in us.
“They see not only what we have done but acknowledge what we’re hoping to do in the future.
“That’s clearly resonated very strongly with the charitable trust.”
With another funding application submitted to Creative Scotland too – the outcome of that only expected in January – Howell said the organisation was “not really in a position to give details” about what Shetland Arts would be doing with the increased grant.
He told Shetland Arts’ AGM in September that they would need to carry out a review of their structure once those funding decisions were known.
However Howell refused to be drawn on what the likely outcome of that review would be, saying only that he had an idea of what could happen.
He said Shetland Arts was one of 280 organisations applying to Creative Scotland for multi-year funding.
“There’s a certain amount of nervousness in the sector about what the impact of this might be,” Howell said.
“When it comes down to it, they will have so much money and they will invest it in the way they see fit.”
Shetland Arts drew criticism for its approach to that AGM, which was held remotely for people to attend online.
Many of those involved in the local arts scene raised concerns about the process, with only questions contained in the meeting agenda allowed to be put to the board.
But Howell strongly rejected any accusations of a lack of accountability at Shetland Arts.
“I think you would have to be a bit clearer about what you mean by a lack of accountability,” he said.
“On our website are our quarterly reports, our financial statement, we’re audited every year by RSM UK.
“My email address, the managers’ email addresses are all available on the website.
“Social media shows you don’t have to wait for an AGM to ask a question, if that’s what you want to do.
“The AGM itself, we very much committed to running it online because that increases accessibility.”
The Shetland Arts chief said he knew people “who joined online who would have been unable to attend in person”.
“It’s not an unusual approach for an organisation to be taking,” he said.
“I think we’re very open and transparent about what it is we do.
“I certainly don’t have any problems with how we run the AGM. We answered people’s questions.”
On a recent social media post about the opening hours of the Mareel café/bar, questions were made about the Shetland Arts senior management team and their suitability for the job.
Howell was asked whether he felt he was still the right person for the job, and whether the last six months have tested his desire to do it.
“People have shouted at me since I walked through the doors nearly 10 years ago now,” he said.
“I think it’s absolutely fantastic to run an organisation that people are so invested in.
“I absolutely love this job. I get to work with a great team of people and we support this amazing, creative community in Shetland.
“It would be horrible if no-one was talking about us. That would really upset me.”
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