Kent's cultural impact and regional role among the discussion topics for Darren Henley's visit to the Canterbury campus on 13 November.
The Chief Executive was welcomed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Denise Everitt, Gulbenkian Director Liz Moran and Professor Peter Stanfield, Head of Kent’s School of Arts.
During his visit, Darren Henley, who is particularly interested in the strategic role and positioning of Higher Education in the UK arts infrastructure, learned about the University’s Cultural Strategy which is being developed by Dean of Humanities Professor Simon Kirchin, Liz Moran and Professor Stanfield, among others.
He also learned more about the ways in which the University makes a key contribution to the region’s cultural activities, its role as a key partner on the European City of Culture group and Cultural Transformation Board in Kent, as well as University Beacon Projects such as the International Festival of Projections.
Central to his visit was the role of Gulbenkian as an Arts Council’s National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). In April 2015, Gulbenkian was made an NPO in recognition of its developing role as a pioneer in the creative empowerment and engagement of children and young people.
He also met representatives of ART31, a Kent-wide network of young people based at Gulbenkian which programmes art, music and theatre for young people.
Darren Henley was accompanied by Hedley Swain, Area Director South East, Arts Council England, and Jon Linstrum, Relationship Manager, Combined Arts, Arts Council England.