Claire Spencer leads the Barbican Centre after being appointed by the City of London Corporation as its first-ever Chief Executive Officer, following a far-reaching recruitment search.

Claire is an experienced and dynamic arts leader and took up her new post in May 2022, after stepping down from Arts Centre Melbourne, where she has been CEO since November 2014. She has nearly 20 years’ experience at the Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne.

Claire will play a key role in the work underway to embed equity, diversity and inclusion across the Barbican Centre’s operations. She will also be an integral part of the Barbican Renewal Project, the design teams shortlist was announced last month, which will put culture front-and-centre of the City of London’s recovery from the pandemic.

In her new role, Claire will drive forward the Barbican Centre’s innovative agenda as an international centre of creative excellence; pushing ambitious targets for audiences, education, and the workforce, and building strong relationships with the diverse and vibrant communities the Centre represents and serves.