The search is on for a new chair of Arts Council England (ACE) after culture secretary Jeremy Hunt’s decision not to renew chair Liz Forgan’s tenure when it ends next year.
Reports suggest that the three potential frontrunners to replace Forgan are Peter Bazalgette, producer of the Big Brother reality TV show and current chair of English National Opera; former government minister Michael Portillo; and Veronica Wadley, who was appointed as chair of the London arts council by Boris Johnson in 2009.
Hunt said a new chair was needed to broaden ACE’s work on philanthropy and the digital agenda. But the decision to dismiss Forgan has been viewed as a political move in some circles.
“Reading between the lines, it sounds like she’d been giving Jeremy Hunt a bit of an earache,” said a source close to the arts council, who added that the appointment of the new chair would be political.
Forgan’s dismissal was greeted with shock within ACE, said the source. Staff were left feeling “battered and bruised” by the timing of the decision because the organisation is in the midst of a major restructure to cut its administration costs by 50%.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the recruitment process would be “fair and transparent”, and the culture secretary would not sit on the selection panel.
He added that the appointment would be made as soon as possible, to allow the new chair to spend time with Forgan before the handover in January 2013.
Vox pop, p21
Reports suggest that the three potential frontrunners to replace Forgan are Peter Bazalgette, producer of the Big Brother reality TV show and current chair of English National Opera; former government minister Michael Portillo; and Veronica Wadley, who was appointed as chair of the London arts council by Boris Johnson in 2009.
Hunt said a new chair was needed to broaden ACE’s work on philanthropy and the digital agenda. But the decision to dismiss Forgan has been viewed as a political move in some circles.
“Reading between the lines, it sounds like she’d been giving Jeremy Hunt a bit of an earache,” said a source close to the arts council, who added that the appointment of the new chair would be political.
Forgan’s dismissal was greeted with shock within ACE, said the source. Staff were left feeling “battered and bruised” by the timing of the decision because the organisation is in the midst of a major restructure to cut its administration costs by 50%.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the recruitment process would be “fair and transparent”, and the culture secretary would not sit on the selection panel.
He added that the appointment would be made as soon as possible, to allow the new chair to spend time with Forgan before the handover in January 2013.
Vox pop, p21
