Moves | First chief executive appointed for Moseley Road Baths

Moseley Road Baths has appointed Amit Dattani as its first chief executive. The Grade II* listed swimming baths in Birmingham is currently undergoing a c.£16 million restoration that will see it reopen as a community destination for swimming, health, wellbeing, culture and events.

Dattani will join the Moseley Road Baths Community Interest Organisation (CIO) on 9 November. He brings more than 15 years of experience in the charity sector, with a focus on partnerships and community engagement.

He is currently director of healthy and sustainable food at the Soil Association, where he leads UK-wide programmes. Previously, he was assistant director of food and sharing at The Active Wellbeing Society, working on food and community-sharing initiatives across Birmingham during the Covid pandemic.

A local resident, Dattani said Moseley Road Baths had given his family “a real sense of belonging”.

“The chance to be part of the next chapter for this extraordinary building, saved through the determination of local people, is a real privilege,” he said.

Lucy Reid, the chair of Moseley Road Baths CIO, said Dattani’s understanding of the organisation, leadership qualities and ability to work with people had stood out during the recruitment process.

New chief executive for Worthing Theatres & Museum

Worthing Theatres & Museum has appointed Louise Blackwell as its new chief executive, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the arts to the organisation.

Blackwell will lead the Connaught Theatre, Pavilion Theatre, Assembly Hall and Worthing Museum & Art Gallery. She will join the organisation in January, moving into the role full-time from April 2027.

Blackwell is the co-founder of Fuel, a producing company that creates and tours new performances in the UK and internationally. More recently, she founded Creative Crawley, which delivers festivals, performances and public art projects developed with local communities.

Her career has spanned major arts venues, including Sadler’s Wells, as well as community-based projects.

“My aim is simple: that everyone in the town feels these buildings belong to them and through the extraordinary work we do together, we will raise the profile of this wonderful town,” she said.

James Turnbull, chair of Worthing Theatres & Museum, said Blackwell’s creative ambition, practical experience and belief in culture’s potential made her the right person to lead the charity into its next chapter.

He said her appointment would support efforts to grow the organisation’s reach and secure a sustainable future.

National Museums NI names chief operating officer

National Museums NI has appointed James Lewsley as chief operating officer, succeeding Colin Catney, who retired at the end of September after 10 years in the role.

Lewsley joined the organisation in 2019 as finance and governance manager, before becoming head of finance and governance. In these roles, he has led projects to improve financial systems and strengthen governance arrangements.

He previously worked in the private sector, bringing commercial experience alongside financial and operational expertise. As chief operating officer, he will support the delivery of the organisation’s strategic ambitions and its work with audiences and communities.

National Museums NI thanked Catney for his contribution to the organisation during his decade in the post.

New manager for Grantham Museum

Grantham Museum has appointed Liv Hennessey as its new museum manager, as it begins a three-year project to transform the museum ahead of its centenary.

Hennessey will oversee the day-to-day running of the museum and lead delivery of the Grantham Museum: A New Century project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and South Kesteven District Council.

The programme aims to strengthen the museum’s organisational resilience, expand community engagement, improve access to collections and develop new exhibitions and learning opportunities.

Hennessey, who has lived in Grantham all her life, said she was looking forward to working with volunteers and the wider community to develop the museum as a cultural and community hub.

Vivienne Reichelt, the chair of trustees at Grantham Museum, said Hennessey’s leadership, experience and enthusiasm would be invaluable in delivering the project, which she described as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to transform the museum and secure its future at the heart of the community.

V&A Dundee appoints four new board members

V&A Dundee has appointed four new members to its board.

The appointments are John Alexander, the chief executive of Hillcrest and former leader of Dundee City Council; Sinéad Burke, the founder and chief executive of accessibility consultancy Tilting the Lens; Eliza Easton, the founder of creative industries think tank Erskine Analysis; and Mark Murray, the former chief executive of Artemis Investment Management.

Alexander has led regeneration, infrastructure and economic development initiatives in Dundee, including during the opening of V&A Dundee and the museum’s first six years. Burke advises international organisations on disability inclusion and design, while Easton’s research has helped inform UK policy on cultural funding, regional development and the creative industries.

Murray spent 28 years at Artemis Investment Management, including 10 years as chief executive, overseeing the growth of the firm into a UK investment management business with more than £40bn in assets.

The new members join a board comprising leaders from business, culture, climate change, equalities, law and media, alongside representatives of the museum’s founding partners.

The board is overseeing the museum’s development as it approaches its tenth anniversary in 2028. This includes a major project to reimagine the Scottish Design Galleries and improve the wider visitor experience, supported by £2.6m in UK government capital investment and a private fundraising campaign.

Tim Allan, the chair of V&A Dundee’s board, said the appointments would provide strategic leadership as the museum prepares for its next phase.

National Museums Liverpool announces two new trustees

National Museums Liverpool has appointed Oliver Enwonwu and Katie Wray to its board of trustees for four-year terms, following appointments by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Enwonwu is an artist, curator, cultural leader and publisher, while Wray is a director in Deloitte’s real estate team. Both joined the board on 1 October 2026.

Four existing trustees – Dinah Birch, John Belchem, Lynn Collins and Anna Farthing – have also been reappointed for second terms. Their new four-year terms will begin in February 2027.

New trustees at Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust

Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust has appointed Doug Bannister, Sarah Dance and Tom Wright as trustees in order to strengthen its board as it begins delivering a 10-year strategy.

The new board members bring experience spanning maritime commerce, heritage, tourism and the creative industries.

Bannister is chief executive of the Port of Dover and chair of the British Ports Association. He has more than 35 years of experience in international business and maritime commerce, including senior roles at Ports of Jersey, P&O Nedlloyd and Maersk Line UK and Ireland.

Dance is a strategic consultant for the cultural and creative industries, with more than 30 years of experience. She is a former chair of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and was founding chair of Creative Estuary.

Wright has held leadership roles at VisitBritain and is a former trustee of the Imperial War Museum. He is currently chair of Hampshire Cultural Trust and a trustee of Royal Navy Museums.

The appointments support the trust’s ambition to establish the Historic Dockyard Chatham as a world-leading maritime heritage destination, with a focus on audiences, preservation and resilience.

The trust has also announced a planned change in leadership. Martin Connell will become chair in November 2026, succeeding Trevor Soar after his 10-year tenure.

The new trustees will help guide the organisation’s next phase as it builds on more than four decades of preserving and redeveloping the former Royal Dockyard.