Devyani Saltzman has been appointed the new Director for Arts and Participation at Barbican, London.
The Canadian curator and writer was most recently Director of Public Programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario, before which she was also Director of Literary Arts at the Banff Centre and a founding Curator at Luminato, Toronto. She is also written for publications including The Globe and Mail, The National Post, the Atlantic and Tehelka.
In an accompanying statement to the announcement, Saltzman said: ‘We are living through such an important moment in which cultural institutions have the opportunity to enter into a new way of serving their people and the public. I really believe this generation of leadership can envision not only the best of creative practice and programming, but embody a healthier way of thinking and working, especially for the communities we serve and our own staff. I’m honoured to be joining the extraordinary team at the Barbican. I can’t wait to work with them and London’s many communities, to create a space that is both international and deeply local: daring, trust-based, politically relevant, and at the forefront of artistic practice. I look forward to working with the team to present the most innovative and thought-provoking work, that addresses and makes space for the issues we are collectively facing and ensures the Barbican is authentically welcoming for all.’
Alongside her juristiction over the Barbican’s programme for cinema, creative collaboration, music, theatre and dance, and visual arts, Saltzman will also be tasked with delivering ‘Destination City’, the City of London Corporation’s flagship programme aiming to turn Square Mile into a leisure destination for UK and international visitors, workers and residents.
Saltzman will begin in July.
