John has been an independent member of the Board since August 2016. He is a member of the Staff Appeals Committee, the Gift Oversight Group, and the Theatre & Galleries Advisory Group. He is also a member of the Joint Board of Brighton & Sussex Medical School. John holds degrees from the universities of London and Sussex. In 2015–16 he was a Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard.
John has 40 years of experience in major arts organizations in the public sector as a director and curator. He initiated and developed an innovative, accessible and culturally-diverse programme of exhibitions, music and events at the South Bank Centre, and has since curated many exhibitions of contemporary art in a wide range of venues in the UK. He has been instrumental in the establishment of several arts organizations in the UK and has an in-depth knowledge of the creative industries in the southeast region. Locally, he has chaired the Boards of Photoworks, Brighton Photo Biennial, Lighthouse and The Westgate Trust. Until recently he was Chair of the Board of Camden Arts Centre and was a founder-member of the Stuart Croft Foundation, John continues to advise a variety of arts organizations on policy development and strategic planning.