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Phil Stokes & Andrew Lovett appointed to the Arts Council England Board

The Secretary of State has appointed Phil Stokes & Andrew Lovett as Board Members of Arts Council England from 01 December 2024 to 30 November 2028.

Phil Stokes 

Appointed for a four year term commencing 01 December 2024 to 30 November 2028. 

Phil Stokes is an experienced finance professional with a deep background in the entertainment, media, cultural, sports and charities sectors.

Phil was an audit partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers for more than twenty years. He has an extensive background in working with film, television and cinema groups, book, magazine and newspaper publishers, sports organisations, and large charities. 

He founded and led PwC’s global Digital Transformation group, responding to the impact of new technologies and changing consumer behaviours across all industries.

Phil is a partner in The Clive Barker Archive and has co-authored several books with and about the author, artist and filmmaker Clive Barker. He is a school governor and has been a trustee of Groundwork London and a commissioner on the Durham Commission.  Alongside his role at Arts Council England. He currently chairs the BFI’s Audit, Risk and Governance Committee and the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee at Middlesex County Cricket Club.

Andrew Lovett 

Appointed for a four year term commencing 01 December 2024 to 30 November 2028.

Andrew has 30 years of leadership experience across museums, leisure, tourism, arts, heritage, and protected landscape sectors. After 11 years with the Lake District National Park, Andrew joined York Museums as Head of Visitor Services. He then held leading roles at the STEAM – Museum of Great Western Railway in Swindon, and served as Deputy and Acting Chief Executive at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Newcastle-Gateshead. He started his current role as Chief Executive of Black Country Living Museum in August 2009.

Since 2019, Andrew has chaired the Association of Independent Museums, which has over 1,000 members across the UK. In March 2022, he was elected Deputy Chair of National Museum Directors’ Council, advocating for the UK’s national museums and forty of the UK’s largest regional museums.

In 2020, Andrew was appointed Chair of the West Midlands Tourism & Hospitality Advisory Board by the West Midlands Mayor. He also chaired the Dudley Towns Fund Board, a regeneration body, until May 2024. In July 2022, he was appointed a Director of West Midlands Growth Company, a public-private-sector partnership focused on creating jobs, attracting investment, and encouraging tourism.

Andrew was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours 2022 for services to culture and heritage.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Board Members of Arts Council England are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Phil Stokes & Andrew Lovett have made no such declarations.

Updates to this page

Published 13 November 2024