Darren Henley is chief executive of Arts Council England, the public body that distributes £700m every year to support galleries, theatres, museums, dance studios, music venues and libraries.

He joins James Ashton to discuss the challenge of restarting the arts post-pandemic and their importance on the world stage.

Henley’s background is in radio, having risen from weekend newsreader to managing director during 22 years at Classic FM.

After leading reviews of music and cultural education for the government, he swapped the private for the public sector in 2015.

At Arts Council England, Henley is treading a fine line by ploughing more taxpayer and National Lottery money into the regions without damaging London’s cultural gems including the Royal Opera House and Southbank Centre.


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