Image provided by Jonathan Nash

Leading contemporary arts agency, Arts&Heritage (www.artsandheritage.org.uk) has appointed Jonathan Nash, Strategy & Planning Co-Ordinator at National Museums Liverpool, as its new Chair, replacing Peter Bromley who recently retired from his role at the North East Cultural Partnership and as Chair of Arts&Heritage.

Jonathan’s appointment comes at an exciting time for the agency, which will be recruiting new Board members and a Director of Projects in the coming months as co-founder Judith King steps down from her post as Creative Director.  

Jonathan first started working with Arts&Heritage in 2016 when he applied for Lion Salt Works in Cheshire to become part of Arts&Heritage’s Meeting Point programme. Jonathan comments:

“Meeting Point was such an exciting and inspiring programme, that when Arts&Heritage announced it was looking for new Trustees I wanted to apply. Being under 25 and an early career professional, I didn’t feel I had a lot to offer; however, Arts&Heritage convinced me otherwise. 

Since my appointment to the Board, the team have continued to advise, support and encourage me. I am really proud that I’ve gone from a programme participant, to Chair of the company’s Board, enabling me to advocate for both Arts&Heritage and this important area of work.”

Since becoming a participant on the Meeting Point programme, Jonathan has joined National Museums Liverpool’s Strategy & Planning Team, supporting the delivery of its 10-year strategic plan. 

Judith King established Arts&Heritage with Timandra Nichols in 2010, and although both have now moved on – Judith is contributing to research work at Newcastle University and Timandra is currently Master Salter of the Salters’ Livery Company in London – both remain involved with Arts&Heritage. Timandra remains on the Board, and Judith will continue as an Artistic Advisor.

Judith says:

“I am extremely proud of what we have achieved and I leave the agency in good hands; with an Executive Director and staff that are deeply committed to the work they do and with an experienced and energetic new Chair and Board that will deliver a vibrant vision for the future.  As Chair, Peter Bromley has steered Arts&Heritage from its inception to where we are now- a creative agency with national reach, delivering impactful contemporary art projects within the museum and heritage sector.”

Jonathan continues:

“This is an exciting new chapter for Arts&Heritage, particularly as it begins recruitment for a new Director of Projects, who will work with us to test new approaches to our work and create new relationships with artists and organisations to help us explore and grow the stories being shared in the museum and heritage sector.”

Arts&Heritage forges connections between artists, communities and historic sites and museums to challenge how heritage narratives are explored through national skills development programmes including Meeting Point, contemporary projects, consultancy and advocacy.  

Together with Arts&Heritage’s Executive Director Stephanie Allen, and the Arts&Heritage staff and Board, Jonathan will help shape the creative and business vision for the next ten years for this unique agency, whose work has national influence on both the arts and the heritage sectors. 

Executive Director Stephanie Allen comments: 

“Working with contemporary artists, architects, musicians, writers and performers to examine our collective histories and to reflect them back in unexpected, vibrant and sometimes challenging ways is extremely important to how we see ourselves as a nation in the twenty first century.  

As we go on this renewed journey, Arts&Heritage remains committed to changing the landscape for heritage organisations and museums by championing the different conversations that can be had with a broad range of communities by placing artists at the heart of their programmes.

We have had a fantastic ten years, supported throughout by Arts Council England and through Judith and Timandra’s amazing work. They have created a solid foundation on which we can now build the next ten years with optimism and a renewed commitment, exploring whose narratives are being told, where, and by whom.”

Arts&Heritage will be celebrating its first 10 years by publishing a book that features some of the agency’s most important projects, ranging from atmospheric installations in historic libraries to tents in agricultural shows and village fairs illustrating the extraordinary work of contemporary artists it has commissioned.

For more information about Arts&Heritage visit www.artsandheritage.org.uk or contact stephanie@artsandheritage.org.uk

Notes to editor

Arts&Heritage forges connections between artists and historic sites, museums, and communities to challenge how heritage is explored and interpreted.   

It creates national skills development programmes, initiates new contemporary projects, advocates for the sector and works as consultants, advisors and mentors to generate unusual and ambitious commissioning opportunities.  

Its work supports heritage organisations and museums to place contemporary art at the heart of their programming to bring alive narratives, atmosphere, architecture and history and provide new perspectives to heritage contexts. This approach challenges audience expectations and preconceptions of heritage sites by producing projects that present history in unexpected, imaginative and unusual ways. 

Arts&Heritage is an Arts Council England (ACE) Sector Support Organisation (SSO), a category within its National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) funding which awards funding to organisations which play a vital role in supporting the cultural sector. Organisations which are awarded SSO funding offer access to expertise and innovation for the cultural sector, driving progress and change. Meeting Point is funded through this ACE funding to support the development of commissioning skills and expertise in the museum and heritage sector.