Darren Henley

Chief executive

Biography

Darren Henley is chief executive of Arts Council England. Since joining the Arts Council in 2015, he has championed the positive impact of public investment in artists, arts organisations, museums and libraries on creating happier lives in villages, towns and cities across England.

His boardroom experience spans arts, media, education, charity and government. He currently chairs the UK National Lottery Forum and the National Lottery Promotions Unit management board, with previous roles including managing director of Classic FM and author of two independent government reviews into music education and cultural education. These resulted in England’s first National Plan for Music Education, new networks of Music Education Hubs and Heritage Schools, the Museums and Schools programme, the BFI Film Academy and the National Youth Dance Company.

A certified coach, Darren has a doctorate exploring the role of the outsider as an agent for change, and degrees in politics, management, applied positive psychology and history of art. He was appointed OBE in 2013 for services to music and CBE in 2022 for services to the arts, receiving the British Academy President’s Medal in 2015 for his contribution to music education, music research and the arts.

Recent Articles

Now is the time to make our case to a new government

OpinionJul 8, 2024

Arts Council England’s chief executive Darren Henley on why a new government is an opportunity for the sector to make the case for its importance and why the issues of excellence and access should not be a zero-sum argument

Darren Henley: 'I will always be greedy, and make the case, for more investment in culture'

FeaturesMar 28, 2023

Giving the opening keynote address at The Stage’s Future of Theatre conference on March 29, Arts Council England chief executive Darren Henley spoke about the changes the funding body is making in its latest portfolio and why he believes they are necessary for the sector’s future. Here is his speech in full

Darren Henley: Why we took these theatre funding decisions

OpinionNov 4, 2022

As this NPO funding round is announced, Arts Council England boss Darren Henley writes exclusively for The Stage to outline why the funding body took the decisions announced today for England’s theatre sector

Arts Council England: ‘We want to be a beacon of light promising a return in the future’

OpinionApr 14, 2020

In a special supplement titled ‘How the arts can survive the coronavirus crisis’, Arts Council England chief executive Darren Henley says he hopes the organisation’s emergency response fund will assist struggling artists across the country and explains how ACE is helping provide a future for the sector