The new head of Creative Scotland was unaware that the Byre Theatre had closed.
The St Andrews theatre, which employed 30 staff, ceased activities at the start of this year following a cut infunding from Creative Scotland.
The arts body removed funding worth £160,000 a year in 2011 and the theatre was unable to cover its running costs.
Sir Sean Connery, who formally opened the theatre after its £5.5m refurbishment in 2001, backeda campaign to save thetheatre.
When asked about the Byre Theatre in an interview with The Courier, CreativeScotland’s CEO Janet Archer did not know the theatre had shut its doors.
Ms Archer said she had nevervisited but that she hoped to do so soon.
When informed that thetheatre is now closed, she added: “The building must still be there sohopefully it can be reopened in the future.
“I think we need to be really clear about what we fund and verytransparent about how we makedecisions.”
Ms Archer, 53, took up her post as CEO of Creative Scotland in July. Previously she was dance director at the Arts Council England.
She took over from Andrew Dixon, who resigned after 100 leading artists wrote an open letter criticising the organisation.
Ms Archer is paid an annual salary of £110,000, around £10,000 a year less than herpredecessor. Creative Scotland was set up in 2010 as a merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen.
It has an annual budget of around £100 million.
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