North and South East Area Chairs appointed to ACE

Secretary of State for Culture LUCY FRAZER has named SALLY SHAW MBE and ANNABEL TURPIN as South East and North Area Chairs, respectively, at Arts Council England.

Shaw has been Director of Colchester-based museum Firstsite for seven years, where she has delivered a programme focusing on using arts and culture to tackle community challenges, including food poverty and inequity.

Previously, Shaw was Head of Programme at Modern Art Oxford and Deputy Head of Culture for the former Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. 

In July, Turpin joined Chester's Storyhouse as Chief Executive. She is also Co-Director of Future Arts Centre, a network of more than 140 UK-based organisations, including The Albany, ARC Stockton and Cambridge Junction, that champions the role of arts centres in driving social, economic and cultural change. 

Previously, she was Chief Executive and Artistic Director of ARC Stockton and founder of Venues North. Turpin has sat on various boards, including as Deputy Chair for the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Business Board and Co-Chair of the Creative Place Advisory Group.

Shaw and Turpin are appointed for a four-year term commencing 1 December.