Ann Sumner has been appointed as the first director of Birmingham Museums Trust, the new body responsible for running Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (BMAG) and the Thinktank science museum.
She is currently director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham, and previously spent seven years as head of fine art at Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales).
BMAG will merge with Thinktank and several historic buildings, including Aston Hall and Weoley Castle, into a trust from April. The move will save Birmingham City Council an estimated £2.4m by 2014-15 across its nine museum and heritage sites.
Sumner will manage an annual budget of £11m when she starts her new job in May. “Setting up a trust is a fantastic opportunity for Birmingham and the West Midlands, and will offer a number of opportunities,” she said.
As a result of the move to trust status, the role of head of heritage services at BMAG will no longer exist.
In a statement, Birmingham City Council said Rita McLean, who is currently head of service, said at an early stage that she did not wish to be considered for the new role.
She is currently director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham, and previously spent seven years as head of fine art at Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales).
BMAG will merge with Thinktank and several historic buildings, including Aston Hall and Weoley Castle, into a trust from April. The move will save Birmingham City Council an estimated £2.4m by 2014-15 across its nine museum and heritage sites.
Sumner will manage an annual budget of £11m when she starts her new job in May. “Setting up a trust is a fantastic opportunity for Birmingham and the West Midlands, and will offer a number of opportunities,” she said.
As a result of the move to trust status, the role of head of heritage services at BMAG will no longer exist.
In a statement, Birmingham City Council said Rita McLean, who is currently head of service, said at an early stage that she did not wish to be considered for the new role.
