National Media Museum scraps director role
Reorganisation to forge closer links with London
Colin Philpott is to leave his role as director of the National Media Museum in Bradford as part of a reorganisation of the senior team by its parent museum service, the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI).
The reorganisation means there will no longer be a director-level role at the Bradford museum. Instead, the position head of the National Media Museum will be created, reporting to the deputy director of the Science Museum.
Ian Blatchford, director of NMSI, said the group was “fully committed to the development of the National Media Museum in the years ahead”.
A spokeswoman for the National Media Museum said it would look to recruit for the new position in the coming months. She added that the decision to delete the director role was the result of a wider plan to forge a closer relationship with the Science Museum in London in terms of programming and curatorial issues.
The National Media Museum has already made eight roles redundant as a result of funding cuts.
In a statement, Philpott, who has been director since 2004, said he was stepping down to pursue other projects, including the publication of a book. He will leave at the end of April once the museum’s new Life Online gallery has opened and the Bradford International Film Festival (taking place from 19 - 29 April) has been delivered.
Earlier this month, Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry confirmed that it would join the NMSI group in January 2012.
The reorganisation means there will no longer be a director-level role at the Bradford museum. Instead, the position head of the National Media Museum will be created, reporting to the deputy director of the Science Museum.
Ian Blatchford, director of NMSI, said the group was “fully committed to the development of the National Media Museum in the years ahead”.
A spokeswoman for the National Media Museum said it would look to recruit for the new position in the coming months. She added that the decision to delete the director role was the result of a wider plan to forge a closer relationship with the Science Museum in London in terms of programming and curatorial issues.
The National Media Museum has already made eight roles redundant as a result of funding cuts.
In a statement, Philpott, who has been director since 2004, said he was stepping down to pursue other projects, including the publication of a book. He will leave at the end of April once the museum’s new Life Online gallery has opened and the Bradford International Film Festival (taking place from 19 - 29 April) has been delivered.
Earlier this month, Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry confirmed that it would join the NMSI group in January 2012.