Chair of Council to lead Mayor of London’s culture board

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Goldsmiths' Chair of Council Tom Sleigh has been appointed by the Mayor of London to lead a board advising on the delivery of cultural priorities and strategy for the capital.

Tom Sleigh, Chair of Goldsmiths' Council

Tom has been named as co-chair of the Mayoral Cultural Leadership Board for 2025-28, which helps steer Sadiq Khan’s plans for culture in London as well as addressing key issues facing the creative industries.

The board brings together 20 members with a range of skills and expertise from music and games to education, cultural infrastructure and health. It will be co-chaired by cultural and creative industries consultant, Amanda Parker, who was previously Vice Chair, and Tom, who is also former chair of the Barbican and includes Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries Justine Simons who is an Honorary Fellow of Goldsmiths.

Tom said: “London’s cultural heartbeat is the rhythm of its people—diverse, dynamic, and daring. As co-chair of the Mayor’s Cultural Leadership Board, I am committed to amplifying voices from every corner of our city and supporting the Mayor’s Culture Strategy.

We’ll ensure our cultural policies reflect our rich heritage and inspire innovation and inclusivity for generations to come. This includes recognising vital institutions like Goldsmiths, which play a key role in supporting the practice and development of the capital’s creatives.

Tom Sleigh on his priorities as co-chair of the Mayoral Cultural Leadership Board

Goldsmiths has been at the centre of London’s cultural life since we were founded in 1891. Across a wide range of courses, our students have become innovators in art, music, design, theatre and literature with four of our creative subject areas ranked in the top 50 in the world earlier this year.

Notable recent graduates include artist Mohammed Sami, who has been shortlisted for this year’s Turner Prize, theatre director Rebecca Frecknall and music producer A.G. Cook who won producer of the year at the Brit Awards for his work on Charli XCX’s album Brat.

Alongside this, we provide a cultural hub for our home borough of Lewisham and the wider London community through Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art, an internationally-recognised gallery on campus, and initiatives like the annual Goldsmiths Prize which celebrates fiction at its most novel.

The Mayor of London is committed to increasing access to culture and supporting and celebrating the capital’s culture and creative industries, which bring £51.7bn to the economy each year and account for one in five jobs.

They are a key part of the Mayor’s London Growth Plan, which is designed to kickstart productivity and boost the economy. His London Plan has helped to protect venues, his 12 Creative Enterprise Zones will deliver 71,000 sqm of affordable creative workspace by 2026, and his London Borough of Culture has brought culture to people’s doorsteps reaching more than three million people and providing more than 26,000 opportunities for young people to date.

The Mayor said: “I’m delighted to announce the members of my Cultural Leadership Board. The board brings together an invaluable range of knowledge and experience. Culture is a key part of London’s success, and we will continue to do all we can to increase access to culture and support artists, venues and workspaces as we build a better London for everyone.”