Emma Anderson, the first Director of The Atkinson in Southport, names the women who have inspired her most.
I have been privileged to work with many impressive women leaders throughout my career. This has made me realise that there is no reason why I shouldn’t aim as high as I want, provided me with different models for being a woman and a leader, and demonstrated the challenges of balancing work and life. I was also very lucky to do a Cultural Leadership for Women course at City University, London, and this enabled me to reflect on the impact these and other women have had. At the time there were no women leading national museums, but happily this has changed now.
Vivienne Bennett
I worked with Vivienne when she was Head of the Harris Museum & Art Gallery in Preston and she appointed me as Exhibitions Officer, letting me do what I enjoyed most, which was developing an ambitious contemporary arts programme. Some people thought she was a bit formidable, but I benefitted from her belief and encouragement of me. She helped me launch my career. I have always admired her creative courage, the flexibility with which she has moved through her career, changing directions from time to time. Whenever our paths cross I am always impressed by the energy and intellectual curiosity she applies to whatever she does.
Julia Peyton Jones
I worked very briefly with Julia, years ago, when I had a short-term contract at The Serpentine Gallery. Having worked in the North West, it was a fantastic opportunity to gain experience of the London art world. Julia’s unflinching ambition to develop The Serpentine into one of the most important galleries in the country has always impressed me. She achieved this through an unerring judgement in knowing who to work with, who to advise her and who to develop as champions and advocates for her vision. Her networks and connections always seemed formidable. This is still something I have to work at; but Julia gave me an intensive course in how to do things properly and how to embody what you believe in.
Aileen McEvoy
After working in London for a few years, I came back to Manchester and worked at the Arts Council. Aileen was my boss and, after the tensions and pressures of the South Bank Centre, it was a relief to be back in the North West, supporting artists and galleries. What was great about working with Aileen was how she always manages to combine an incredible good humour and humanity with a passion for the arts and artists. She always seemed hungry for new opportunities and challenges, yet remained relaxed and comfortable despite a hugely demanding workload. This is something I aspire to when I am feeling tired and ratty.
Julia Fawcett
It was only when I started as Director of The Atkinson that I realised what I had learned from Julia – she has been an unexpected influence that has given me courage when faced with difficult decisions. I was Head of Exhibitions at The Lowry when she took over as Director. After a tumultuous period of capital development, Julia came in to create a strong business model for the organisation. She was uncompromising and didn’t make it easy for anyone, but she showed an absolute tenacity in examining every aspect of the business to make sure it was making money, as well as delivering a high-quality programme and reaching new audiences.
Virginia Tandy
An exemplary woman leader, Virginia has inspired lots of people including me, so it was wonderful to work closely with her for over five years at Manchester City Galleries. She gave me courage and self-belief that has carried me through some really difficult times. She helped me turn myself from being an enthusiastic and energetic project manager into a leader – it took a little while, but we got there in the end. And when I finally got my job at The Atkinson, I realised that I knew exactly what to do!
Emma Anderson is the first Director of The Atkinson, a local authority run cultural and heritage centre in Southport comprising two theatres, a cinema, galleries, a museum, library, an arts on prescription service, a shop and a Bakery.
www.theatkinson.co.uk
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