Media veteran Dawn Airey has been appointed chair of Arts Council England (ACE), replacing Nicholas Serota, whose tenure spanned funding cuts, the pandemic, Brexit, and the downgrading of arts in the national curriculum. Airey, whose career includes senior roles at ITV, Channel 5, Sky, Yahoo, and Getty Images, immediately identified artificial intelligence as a key challenge for the arts sector. She will begin her four-year term on 1 August, with the role remunerated at £60,000 a year for two days a week.
This appointment matters because ACE has faced significant criticism, including an independent review by Labour peer Margaret Hodge that found a “loss of respect and trust” due to perceived political interference. Airey inherits an organization under pressure to simplify its funding processes and ensure transparent, fair distribution of resources. Her background in commercial media and her stated focus on championing human creativity in an age of AI signal a potential shift in how the council navigates technological disruption and rebuilds trust with the arts community.