ACE appoints new London Area Director

MICHELLE WALKER will join Arts Council England in November as London Area Director. She succeeds TONYA NELSON who moved to become Executive Director, Enterprise & Innovation last month.

Walker will lead the delivery of ACE's Let’s Create strategy in all London boroughs to ensure the impact of the arts across the capital.

Currently Walker is Culture and Events Manager for the London Borough of Southwark, where she has led innovative projects both with established national institutions such as Tate and with local partners such as Theatre Peckham.

Previously, she was the Strategic Lead for Culture at Nine Elms (Wandsworth Council), Executive Director at Festival.Org (Greenwich+Docklands International Festival) and worked as the Director at Hat Fair in Winchester and as Producer at Oxford Playhouse Theatre.

Walker said: "I am delighted to be joining Arts Council England and am very much looking forward to working with the London Area team to support creativity of all kinds across the capital. As Area Director I hope to be able to contribute to Arts Council's efforts, alongside those of its key partners, in supporting London's artists, cultural organisations and communities meet challenges in the years ahead."

LAURA DYER, Deputy-Chief Executive, Arts Council England said: “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming in Michelle as our new London Area Director. The expertise and experience that Michelle brings from her years working in London’s arts and culture sector will be a huge asset as we continue to move forward with our ten-year strategy, Let’s Create."