The Secretary of State has made five reappointments to Arts Council England
The Secretary of State has reappointed the following Area Chairs to Arts Council England: Sukhy Johal MBE as Midlands Area Chair (for a term of 3 years and 3 months from 1 September 2022 until 30 November 2025); Kate Willard OBE as North Area Chair; and Professor Roni Brown as South East Area Chair (for terms of 1 year and 3 months from 1 September 2022 until 30 November 2023). The Secretary of State has also reappointed Andrew Miller MBE and Elisabeth Murdoch as National Council Members of Arts Council England, for terms of 3 years and 3 months from 1 September 2022 until 30 November 2025.
Professor Roni Brown
Roni is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at University of the Arts London (UAL), previously Head of UAL’s London College of Fashion. Roni holds the title Professor of Visual and Educational Cultures.
Roni’s role at UAL is to support the development and co-ordination of creative education across all six UAL Colleges, implementing the University’s vision, “the World Needs Creativity”. Roni’s portfolio includes responsibility for Teaching and Learning, Further Education, Access and Outreach, International Development, Library and Student Support Services and the University Central Planning Unit.
Roni has worked in Higher Education for over 25 years holding senior positions at the University for the Creative Arts, University of Chichester and University of the Arts London. She has a PhD in the History of Architecture and Design and has work published in the fields of design history, pedagogy and quality assurance in creative arts higher education.
Roni has been a Trustee of the Open College of the Arts and Deputy Chair of Artswork, the South East Bridge Organisation of Arts Council England. Roni is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.
Sukhy Johal MBE
Sukhy has over 30 years of leadership and governance experience, driving transformational programmes across the public, third and higher education sectors.
He is currently the Director of the Centre for Culture and Creativity at the University of Lincoln acting as a dynamic agent for change in the region.
Sukhy started his career as a volunteer with Apna Arts at the age of 16, and as its Chair steered the organisation’s transformation in becoming the New Art Exchange, the UK’s leading culturally diverse Contemporary arts gallery. Following 12 years in local government, as Executive Director of Culture East Midlands, the region’s Cultural Consortium, Sukhy led the development of the sector, devising innovative regional policy, establishing transformative programmes and integrating culture into wider place and economic development.
He continues to passionately advocate and champion the social and catalytic power of culture.
Andrew Miller MBE
Transforming perceptions throughout his 35 year career in the creative industries, Andrew is recognised as one of the UK’s most influential disability advocates with extensive experience of the arts, film and broadcast sectors.
Starting out in broadcasting, Andrew belongs to the first generation of disabled presenters of British television and went on to produce and direct tv arts documentaries. Subsequently becoming the first wheelchair user to run a major UK arts venue, he is now a prolific cultural commentator and his consultancy supports major new cultural infrastructure such as the University of Oxford Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities and Coventry City of Culture.
Andrew is a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a trustee of BAFTA and his
previous non-executive roles include The Arts Council of Wales, Welsh National Opera and The Space. He is Chair of the BFI Disability Screen Advisory Group and in 2020 co-founded the UK Disability Arts Alliance #WeShallNotBeRemoved, where he developed the Seven Inclusive Principles which helped shape the cultural sector’s pandemic recovery. Between 2018-21 Andrew was the UK Government’s first Disability Champion for Arts & Culture, establishing the role as a powerful campaigning platform for greater inclusion. He chairs Arts Council England’s Disability Advisory Group.
Elisabeth Murdoch
Elisabeth Murdoch is an entrepreneur and philanthropist in the creative industries. In October 2019, Elisabeth joined forces with Stacey Snider and Jane Featherstone to found SISTER, a global content company which develops, produces and invests in visionary storytellers. Elisabeth is also founder and Chair of Locksmith Animation and a strategic minority shareholder in Youngest Media, 110% Content & belofx.
In 2001, Elisabeth founded Shine, which she managed and grew, first as Chief Executive and latterly as Chairman, into one of the world’s leading production companies over her 14-year tenure.
Elisabeth set up the Freelands Foundation in 2015 with the ambition to give everyone in the UK, regardless of background or location, access to art education, to raise their aspirations and empower them to transform their life opportunities.
Elisabeth is a non-Executive Director of Tribeca Enterprise. She was a Tate Trustee between 2008 and 2016 and Chairman of the Tate Modern Advisory Council between 2009 and 2016.
Kate Willard OBE
Kate Willard OBE is Chair of the Thames Estuary Growth Board and the Government appointed Thames Estuary Envoy. She is Chair of Teesside International Airport and a Commissioner with the National Infrastructure Commission.
Council Members of Arts Council England are not remunerated. Area Chairs of Arts Council England are remunerated at £6,400 per annum. All five terms were initially extended by 9 months, they have subsequently been reappointed for terms as outlined above.
These reappointments have 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. Professor Roni Brown, Sukhy Johal, Andrew Miller, Elisabeth Murdoch, and Kate Willard have declared no such activity.