Open to the public since 1897, Tate is one of the world’s leading art institutions and among the most visited in the United Kingdom. It consists of a network of four museums: Tate Britain and Tate Modern in London, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives in Cornwall. The four museums share a national collection of British art from 1500 to the present and international modern and contemporary art, comprising more than seventy thousand items. Tate, like many museums, has in recent years transformed itself in order to remain relevant in the twenty-first century, refurbishing and extending Tate Britain and Tate Modern, launching the Tate Exchange collaborative learning programme, and organising international partnerships and collaborations. In this upcoming M+ Matters | Keynote, Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, discusses the significance of these projects and the institution’s overall strategy in the context of a global sociopolitical climate that is shifting more rapidly than ever. More broadly, she explores the challenges and opportunities facing museums as they strive to continue to find a balance between reflecting current situations and remaining impartial, inclusive, and open.
The talk will be conducted in English, with English to Cantonese simultaneous interpretation.
Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts is the venue partner.
Maria Balshaw (Director, Tate)
Maria Balshaw is Director of Tate, a role she has held since June 2017. She has responsibility for Tate’s strategic direction and day-to-day operations. She has worked to reframe the context and perspective of this long-established institution to engage with sensitive times, furthering the mission of inclusiveness and equality to connect with a wider audience. Previously, she was Director of the Whitworth, University of Manchester; Director of Manchester City Galleries; and Director of Culture for the Manchester City Council. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Cultural Studies from the University of Liverpool and a Master of Arts degree in Critical Theory and a DPhil in African American Visual and Literary Culture from the University of Sussex. She is a member of the Board of Clore Leadership and the Manchester International Festival. In 2015, she was awarded a CBE for services to the arts.
