Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in joining the Board of Art Collections Management Services (ACMS) at this pivotal and exciting moment in our development.
ACMS is being established to care for and share the Arts Council Collection — one of the UK’s most significant public collections of modern and contemporary British art. As we embark on this new chapter, our purpose is clear: to safeguard, activate, and expand the Collection for the benefit of artists and communities across the UK.
The creation of ACMS coincides with a major investment in Coventry’s City Centre Cultural Gateway, where we will be based. This move marks a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a sustainable and dynamic internationally significant arts organisation from the ground up — one that is operationally resilient, outward-facing, and committed to exemplary public access. Since 1986, the Collection has been expertly managed by London-based Southbank Centre. The transition to Coventry and the establishment of ACMS as a separate charity is a transformative move, recognising the national and international importance of the collection for British artists and audiences across the world. Full operation from Coventry will launch in 2028. From 2026, the Board will be over-seeing the establishment of ACMS, a transition programme, and the design of new income-generating and partnership-driven models.
Our history is remarkable: since 1946 the Arts Council Collection has championed emerging talent, nurtured artists, and preserved works that have gone on to shape the national cultural landscape. Today, the Collection continues to be a “museum without walls,” reaching millions across the UK and beyond through loans, touring exhibitions, research partnerships, and sector-support initiatives. The acquisition programme ensures that emerging artistic talent is supported and secured for future generations to enjoy. ACMS will inherit and evolve this legacy, strengthening both its artistic ambition and its national service.
As we build ACMS’s governance, we are seeking up to 6 Board members who bring a wide range of perspectives, skills, and lived experience. Our Board will guide ACMS through its start-up phase, oversee the development of our vision and business plan for 2026–2031, and help shape an organisation that is financially robust, imaginative in its collecting and programming, and deeply committed to access, inclusion, and artistic excellence. We welcome candidates with expertise in cultural leadership, collections and museum management, public engagement, charity governance, and organisational growth. Equally important are values: integrity, openness, curiosity, and a commitment to expanding public engagement with modern and contemporary British art.
In particular, we are appointing a Chair of Audit & Finance Committee, a crucial role in shaping ACMS’s financial resilience, overseeing risk, and supporting thedevelopment of innovative income streams that will ensure the organisation’s long-term sustainability. This is a unique opportunity to establish the financial and governance frameworks of a national arts organisation at its inception.
This is a rare opportunity to help shape a national organisation from its creation. I hope you feel inspired by ACMS’s ambitions, and I warmly encourage you to consider joining us as we build an organisation capable of carrying the Arts Council Collection into its next era with confidence and creativity.
Thank you once again for your interest. I look forward to the possibility of welcoming you to our Board.
With best wishes,
Sukhy Johal MBE
Executive Chair
Art Collections Management Services (ACMS)