The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has today announced that Sir Nicholas Serota has been appointed chair of the Arts Council England, and will take up his new role in February 2017.
Nicholas Serota (pictured) will take up the role from current chair Sir Peter Bazalgette, who ends his term at the Arts Council in January 2017. Serota will join from the Tate, where he has been director for the last 28 years.
Serota will officially take up the part-time appointment in February 2017, but will continue to work at the Tate until later in the year.
Serota joined the Tate in 1988, and in that time oversaw the opening of the Tate Modern in 2000 and a renovation of the Tate Britain, which was completed in 2013.
He also oversaw the opening earlier this year of the Tate Modern’s new extension – the Switch House, which increased the size of the gallery by over 50 per cent.
Bazalgette leaves the Arts Council to take up a role as chair of ITV.
Speaking of his appointment, Serota said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to succeed Sir Peter Bazalgette as Chair of the Arts Council from 1 February 2017.
"This is an enormous honour, given the seventy year history of the Council, its success in recent years and the crucial role that it plays in promoting art and culture in this country.”
Karen Bradley, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, said: "Nicholas Serota has transformed the Tate during his time there, making it one of the leading art institutions in the world, and I am delighted he is taking up the position as Chair of Arts Council England.
"He brings unparalleled experience, creativity and wisdom and will continue to be an enthusiastic champion of the arts in his new role.”
Lord Browne, chair of the Tate, said: “We have been privileged to have in Nicholas Serota one of the world’s greatest museum directors and a leader for the visual arts on a global stage.
"Under his leadership Tate has become a preeminent cultural organisation nationally and internationally and one of the most visited in the world."
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