Duncan Dornan is retiring as Head of Glasgow Life Museums and Collections after nine years in the role.

Duncan has been with Glasgow Life for more than a decade, initially as Senior Museums Manager before becoming Head of Glasgow Life Museums in 2015. He will step down on Friday 23 August 2024.

As Head of Glasgow Life Museums and Collections, Duncan has been responsible for the planning and delivery of many of the city’s major museum projects and initiatives, including the £68.25m refurbishment of the Burrell Collection, the ongoing £35.9m refurbishment of the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens and Banksy surprising the art world and beyond with his first exhibition in more than a decade at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)

Glasgow Life Museums are assets of national and international significance and play a crucial role in driving visits to Glasgow and Scotland.

Under Duncan’s tenure, Glasgow Life Museums recorded almost four million visits in 2023/24. More than half of all visits (55%) were from people outside the UK and over 85% of these said visiting a Glasgow Life Museum was a reason for coming to Scotland.

At the same time, Glasgow Life Museums has been able to diversify its local audience, with 50% of visitors living in parts of the city that face some of the highest levels of deprivation in Scotland.

Duncan Dornan, Head of Glasgow Life Museums and Collections, said: “The people of Glasgow have a real sense of pride in their ownership of the city’s museums. It has been an enormous privilege to lead Glasgow Life Museums and I would like to thank my incredible team whose passion and care for the city’s collections has driven record numbers of local and international visitors. One in every three visits to a local authority museum in Scotland today is to a museum in Glasgow.

“Glasgow Life Museums bring audiences to Scotland because of their exceptional quality, breadth, and diversity. Our offer is both unique and world leading, and our role as an innovator in museums practice is recognised globally, which is something I am very proud of.”

The search for a new Head of Glasgow Life Museums and Collections is already underway. Saxton Bampfylde is Glasgow Life’s recruitment partner for this senior appointment.