Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2026 list has been announced to celebrate just some of the women working in Scotland.
Launched as part of International Women’s Day 2026, we shine the spotlight on 15 women who all contribute towards Scotland’s cultural landscape through their work. Read the 2026 list here.
We asked Helen Needham to tell us more about their work, influences and ambitions for the future.
How did you first get involved in the arts and who were your early influences?
Singing was an early passion of mine and I regularly participated in the Scots Song classes Aberdeen Music Festival as a child, as well as attending classical singing lessons. As well as performing solo, I was in many choirs, most memorably at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. When I went to University in Edinburgh, I joined the Renaissance Singers and we toured to Italy where we performed in the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi (what a reverb!). I was also a member of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus where a highlight was performing Mahler’s 2nd Symphony conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. A transcendental experience!
In a time when many artists and creative professionals are facing significant challenges, how have you developed and evolved your creative practice over the past few years?
As a Senior Producer at BBC Radio Scotland, we make it our mission to support musicians as much as we can through showcasing their music, as well as offering opportunities to perform live on the radio.
I also make programmes for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 and try my best to commission original music for these programmes where possible. A couple of years ago, I made a series for BBC Radio 3 called ‘Dig Where You Stand’ which featured 5 musicians talking about a particular song or tune and the specific location it came from.
Who or what interests you creatively?
I love to combine my passion for music and landscape in the creative work I do. So my ideal radio programme would involve recording on location and featuring the music and literature of the place. For example, the series I made with the writer Robert Macfarlane on the Cuillin Ridge of Skye weaved the poetry of Sorley MacLean and the music of Duncan Chisholm and Julie Fowlis with the the actuality of the very demanding climb. This programme won Silver at the New York Radio Festival Awards.
What are your plans for the next year or so and/or what are your longer term creative ambitions?
I now produce the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award which is a huge priviledge, so I very much look forward to the next competition and working with all the young talent we have in Scotland.
I keep working on new ideas for radio commissions which involve music and the arts, offering more people opportunities to have their work heard.
Other than that, I want to climb more mountains, go to more gigs and sing around the campfire more often!
Find out more about Helen Needham here.
Read the Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2026 List
Hands Up for Trad are an organisation who work with Scottish traditional music, language and culture. If you would like to support our work you can donate here.