Rachel Blanche

Rachel Blanche is a Senior Lecturer in Arts Management and Cultural Policy at Queen Margaret University (QMU), affiliated with the Media, Communication and Performing Arts Division. She holds a MA and MLitt and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her research focuses on notions of quality in participatory arts, global cultural policy through UNESCO, and cultural policy formation. She contributes to policy development with organizations like the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland. Rachel teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses on cultural policy and fundraising, supervising postgraduate research in cultural policy and arts management.

Her career began in foreign policy as a diplomat before transitioning to cultural policy in 2003. Active in UK-wide initiatives like the Artworks programme, she enriches partnerships between artists, funders, and commissioners. She is a member of QMU's Culture in Society Research Centre and the Centre for Communication, Cultural and Media Studies (associate).