Opera House Vice Chair joins panel for UK Government’s review of Arts Council England

The UK Government has appointed Helen Bowdur as part of the advisory panel of senior figures from across the cultural sector that will support a review of Arts Council England led by Labour peer Baroness Margaret Hodge.

Helen Bowdur is currently Vice Chair of Buxton Opera House & Pavilion Arts Centre, as well as holding the same position at Octagon Theatre Bolton. As an experienced Fundraising Director & Consultant, she has extensive knowledge of the cultural sector and spent over a decade working for the National Media Museum, Manchester International Festival and Opera North.

As described by the UK Government website, the Arts Council England review is an opportunity to examine how to bring cultural excellence to every corner of the country while amplifying local voices in decision-making.

It will consider how Arts Council England nurtures creativity at all levels – from community arts to international masterpieces – and explore ways to enhance this through stronger dynamic partnerships between national and regional stakeholders. At its heart, this review asks how we can ensure this country has a vibrant, accessible arts ecosystem that truly serves all communities and delivers world-class culture at every level.

Of the announcement, Helen Bowdur says:

“I am delighted to be a member of the advisory panel, supporting Baroness Margaret Hodge in her review of Arts Council England and I look forward to shining a light on the amazing theatre and community engagement work produced by Buxton Opera House.”  

Appointed alongside Helen Bowdur are Stella Kanu, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and Dave Moutrey, Director of Culture and Creative Industries at Manchester City Council and chair of the Theatres Trust.

They are joined on the panel by Samir Savant, Chief Executive of the live music and events venue St George’s Bristol; Pawlet Brookes, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage in Leicester; Paul Callaghan, chair of the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust; and Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool, soon to become chair of the National Museum Directors Council.

For further information on the Arts Council Review Panel, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/arts-council-england-review.

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