Professor Sir Christopher Frayling is to be the new Chairman of Arts Council England, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced today. 

 

The appointment is for four years and is unpaid. Sir Christopher will take up the post shortly.

 

Tessa Jowell said:

 

"I am delighted that Sir Christopher has agreed to take on this key role in Arts Council England.   He radiates a love for the arts - and his skill at sharing that enthusiasm makes him the ideal choice for the job. 

 

"He will be a mighty advocate for the arts and culture in England.  He is just the person to steer Arts Council England over the next four years, building on the successful reforms made by Gerry Robinson."

 

Sir Christopher said:

 

"I am truly delighted to have been chosen as next Chairman of the Arts Council England, following Gerry Robinson's very successful chairmanship over the last five years.  Gerry will leave a Council in excellent shape, and which works more closely than ever before with the Regional Arts Councils.  So this has become one of the key roles in the arts across the whole of England, and I look forward to bringing to it all the energy, passion, visibility and commitment I can muster."

 

 

Arts Council England is the major national development agency for the arts in England, responsible for the allocation of funding from Government and the National Lottery.   It has recently carried out a radical programme of structural reform.  

 

Gerry Robinson will step down as Chairman of Arts Council England in January 2004.  He was appointed to the post in May 1998.  During his Chairmanship, Treasury funding for the arts has increased from £189.6 million (1998/99) to £412 million by the end of the current spending round period (2005/06).  In addition, the arts were given a second seven year period as a National Lottery good cause. He led the merger of the old Arts Council of England with the 10 separate regional arts boards to create a single funding and development body for the arts.

 

Members of the Arts Council England include Sir Norman Adsetts, Tom Bloxham, Deborah Bull, Paul Collard, Deborah Grubb, Sue Hollick, Professor Alan Livingston, Stephen Lowe, Brian McMaster, Elsie Owusu, William Sieghart, Stuart Timperley and Dorothy Wilson.

 

Sir Christopher Frayling has been Rector of the Royal College of Art since 1996, where he has overseen significant change to help it become more accountable, more businesslike and a better-structured organisation.   He is Chairman of the Design Council and of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee.   He is a Trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum and was a Council member of the Arts Council of England from 1987 to 2000.  

 

Through 13 books on the Arts and Culture and over twenty years as a Professor of Cultural History he has demonstrated a depth and breadth of knowledge of the industry.   He is also known to the public through three documentary series for BBC Television and numerous programmes for Radio 3 and Radio 4.   He has not undertaken any political activity in the last five years.