Hereford College of Arts (HCA) has announced the appointment of Julie Finch, Chief Executive Officer of Hay Festival Foundation as its new Chair of the Board of Governors. Julie
succeeds Mervyn Jones, who steps down after nine years of service.
A respected cultural leader, Finch has built a distinguished career spanning more than two decades in international, national and regional arts organisations. She has served as Chief Executive of Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park; Project Director for the New Museum for Western Australia, Boola Bardip; Director of Museums, Galleries and Archives at Bristol City Council and since 2022, Chief Executive Officer of Hay Festival Foundation, where she has led the internationally-renowned festival’s strategic development across its global network in Wales and nine countries.
At each stage of her career, Finch has championed access to culture and creativity, driving growth, participation and innovation across the organisations she has led. Her leadership has consistently focused on unlocking potential and broadening opportunity – values that align closely with HCA’s commitment to fostering creativity across disciplines and communities.
HCA Principal Abigail Appleton, MBE said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Julie as Chair of our Board of Governors. She shares our belief that creativity enriches not only individual lives but also the communities we serve, within our region and far beyond. This is an important time for creative education as the specialist and transferable skills that we support students to develop at HCA are becoming ever more critical. Julie’s experience of leadership across world-class cultural organisations will help us continue to build a college that inspires students from all backgrounds and fosters the skills and attributes required to support a sustainable and dynamic economy, improve community wellbeing and to help save our fragile environment.”
Julie Finch, incoming Chair of the Board of Governors, commented:
“It’s a great honour to join Hereford College of Arts. This is a college with a remarkable creative spirit – one that supports students to grow as artists, makers, and innovators while contributing to the wider community. I’ve experienced how creativity can transform places and people, and I’m excited to support the college’s vision for the future as HCA enters its next chapter, one of an ambitious future.
Mervyn Jones, outgoing Chair of the Board of Governors, added:
“It’s been a privilege to serve on Hereford College of Arts’ Board through a period of growth and recognition for our outstanding provision. Julie’s appointment brings deep cultural insight and leadership experience that will guide the college into its next phase of development.”
This announcement marks an important moment for HCA. With the creative industries firmly at the heart of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy for growth, and creative skills in demand across the changing world of work, the college is actively broadening its provision of courses and extending its industry partnerships to meet the growing needs of people of all ages to reskill and upskill.
HCA is proud to have provided a foundation for an amazing breadth of creative careers, ranging from international illustrator Aysha Tengiz and electropop superstar Olly Alexander (Years & Years), to acclaimed ceramicist Simon Carroll and Oscar-winning production designer James Price. In the last six months alone, HCA students have been recognised in some of the UK’s top student showcases, from Post-16 students being featured at UAL Origins Creatives to degree students making the Global Creative Graduate Showcase shortlist and winning the top award at New Designers.
The leadership experience and deep understanding of arts, culture and the creative industries Julie brings to the HCA board, make her ideally placed to guide HCA during its next ambitious chapter as an institution that champions distinctive, personal-scale education, with local and national impact.
Photographer – Billie Charity.