Joe Hill to take up helm at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Joe Hill has been appointed as the new director and chief executive at Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

The Yorkshire-born director and artist will move from East Sussex, where he is the director and chief executive officer of the Towner Eastbourne, to Wakefield in West Yorkshire in April to take up the position.

During his tenure, Towner Eastbourne won the Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2020, hosted the Turner Prize in 2023 and secured funding for a capital project to create a new arts, environment and heritage centre at Black Robin Farm on the South Downs.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park celebrates its 50^th anniversary in 2027.

Peter Clegg, chair of the park’s trustees, said: “We went through an exhaustive [recruitment] process alongside our senior leadership team and chose Joe unanimously from an exciting longlist of applicants.

“Joe has completely transformed Towner Eastbourne into the centre for creative arts across the region that it is now, and has initiated a new cultural and educational centre for landscape and the arts in the South Downs National Park.

“With an exceptional programme planned for the coming year and some interesting entrepreneurial challenges to get stuck into, Yorkshire Sculpture Park is in very capable hands.”  

The arts organisation’s founding director Peter Murray retired in 2022, with Clare Lilley taking over the role.

Lilley announced last year that she was stepping down in order to pursue global opportunities, with Kevin Rodd serving as interim director since July.

New head for Hayward

Meanwhile in London, the Southbank Centre has appointed Sally Tallant as director of the Hayward Gallery and visual arts. She will take over from Ralph Rugoff, who steps down this spring after 20 years in the post.

Tallant has been director of the Queens Museum in New York since 2019. She previously held the role of director of Liverpool Biennial from 2011 to 2019 and before that spent 10 years as a curator and head of programmes at the Serpentine Gallery.

“I am delighted to be returning to London as director of the Hayward Gallery and visual arts, Southbank Centre,” Tallant said.

“It is an honour to join Mark Ball [artistic director of the Southbank Centre] and Elaine Bedell [chief executive officer of the Southbank Centre], and to build on the outstanding legacy of Ralph Rugoff, shaping the next chapter of this vital cultural destination and civic institution.”

Bedell said: " Joining our leadership team at a pivotal moment, Sally takes the helm of a gallery that has defined global contemporary art for 60 years.

“As we look toward our 75th anniversary [in 2026], I am confident Sally will ensure the legacy of the Festival of Britain propels the Southbank Centre into a new era of civic impact, strengthening our commitment to artists and audiences alike for the next 75 years."

NMMC director to retire

The National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC), has announced that its director Richard Doughty will retire at the end of June.

Doughty, who was appointed head of the Falmouth museum in 2014, previously served as the director of the Cutty Sark Trust.

“Despite having the word ‘national’ in our title, everything we do has been achieved without any central or local government revenue funding," Doughty said. "Our museum has mounted a raft of major temporary exhibitions of national quality, launched critically acclaimed cross-arts programming, delivered hands-on activities for children, and established an award-winning learning programme.

“The museum’s dedicated team of volunteers gave over 20,000 hours of their time to us in 2025 and I’m deeply grateful to them and our remarkable team of staff who work tirelessly to ensure we provide a warm welcome, a safe building and an exceptional experience for local people and visitors to Cornwall. The collective contribution to the museum is immeasurable and much of what we achieve is thanks to their loyalty and amazing support.

“I also want to acknowledge and thank our generous donors and, of course, our superb board whose combined expertise has guided me and the museum for over a decade.

“Finally, a huge thank you to the many wonderful visitors who share our passion to preserve and uphold Cornwall’s maritime heritage – returning time after time to see our exhibitions and take part in our activities.”

Head of public programming Stuart Slade, who has been at NMMC for 20 years, will become the interim director.