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Our Staff

You can contact the Whitworth via our main telephone number, on 0161 275 7450 or by emailing whitworth@manchester.ac.uk where our Visitor Team will be able to guide you.

The gallery is closed to visitors on Mondays, please see our Opening Times, for details.

Directorate

Prof Sook-Kyung Lee
Director

Prof Sook-Kyung Lee is Director of the Whitworth at The University of Manchester; she was Artistic Director of the 14th Gwangju Biennale in 2023, titled soft and weak like water, which explored themes of resistance, indigeneity, decoloniality and ecology. Lee was Senior Curator, International Art at Tate Modern, working in exhibitions, collection displays and acquisitions, she also headed a major multi-year research initiative ‘Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational’ at Tate Modern, overseeing its strategic vision and associated programming. Lee served as the Commissioner and Curator of the Korea Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale and curator of the Japan Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale represented by the artist Yuko Mohri in 2024.

Senior Executive Assistant to the Director
Helen Fairs  or telephone 07825 316609

Visitor Team

Visitor Team Manager   Ashleigh Owen  or telephone 07867 501273

Assistant Visitor Team Manager   Tahmina Rahman

Visitor Team Coordinator (Part-time)   Robin Cleary

Visitor Team Coordinator (Part-time)   John Kirkpatrick

Visitor Team Coordinator (Part-time)   Zoe Smith Turner

Development

Development & Stakeholder Manager   Olga Gribben or telephone 0161 275 8458

Data

Data Manager   Helen Mark  or telephone 07831 112808

Marketing & Communications

Communications Manager   Melissa McFarlane

Cultural Communications Coordinator   Joanne Hitchen

Digital Communications Officer   Steve Devine
(Monday – Tuesday)

For all Press and Media enquiries   Whitworth Press

Visit our Press and Media page for our latest press releases

Finance & Commercial

Finance Officer   David Allred  or telephone 0161 275 7456

Buyer and Product Developer   Emma Gittins or telephone 07471 119940

Retail Supervisor   Robert Parkinson  or telephone 07393 00830

Whitworth Enterprise Administrator Ruth Wedgbury

Civic Engagement and Education

Head of Civic Engagement and Education   Ed Watts

Cultural Park Keeper   Francine Hayfron  or telephone 07795 128868
(Monday – Thursday)

Learning Manager   Andrew Vaughan

Volunteering and Civic Engagement Manager   Fiona Cariss   or telephone 07554 778269

Civic Engagement and Education Assistant   Gurusha Saini

Producer, Families and Early Years   Lucy Turner

Producer, Schools (Primary and Secondary)   Steven Roper

Producer, Colleges and Young People   Denise Bowler   or telephone 07342 066483
(Monday – Thursday)

Project Producer   Dominic Bilton
(Tuesday – Thursday)

Producer, Age-Friendly   Claire Cowell   or telephone 07776 170688
(Part-time)

Collections and Exhibitions

For enquiries about our collections or potential donations please contact the relevant curator.

Senior Curator (Collections & Textiles and Wallpaper)   Amy George
(Monday – Friday)

Senior Curator (Exhibitions)   Poppy Bowers
(Monday – Friday)

Curator, Historic Fine Art   Imogen Holmes-Roe
(Monday – Thursday)

Curator   Olivia Heron
(Monday – Friday)

Assistant Curator (Textiles and Wallpaper)   Victoria Hartley
(Monday – Thursday)
 
Assistant Curator (Art)  Hannah Vollam
(Monday – Friday)

Gallery Registrar   Jamilla Briggs
(Monday – Thursday)

The Whitworth has partnered with Bridgeman to manage the reproduction of our images.

High-resolution images from our permanent collection can be requested for any scholarly, editorial, and commercial usage through them directly. You can browse and search via the Bridgeman Images website

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please send your request to: imagereproductions@manchester.ac.uk and request@bridgemanimages.com

Collections Image Reproductions and Copyright  Image Reproductions

Conservation and Collections Care

Collections Care Manager and Conservator, Textiles   Ann French  

Conservator, Preventive and Sculpture   Sarah Potter 

Conservator, Paper   Dan Hogger 

Senior Gallery Technician: Exhibitions and Collections Care   Paul Adrian Smith  

Senior Gallery Technician: Exhibitions and Collections Care   Mark Buchanan  

Gallery Technician: Conservation and Collections Care   Emma Brown  
(Monday – Wednesday)

Alternatively, contact the team by telephone 0161 275 7807

The Buildings and Operations Team

Head of Buildings and Operations   Dean Whiteside 

Buildings and Operations Manager   Luke Gleadall    07584 543856 

Events and Operations Coordinator   Alex Joseph  07880 015119 

AV/IT Technician (Part-time)  Tristan Clutterbuck   07500 605339 

Landscape and Sustainability Technician   Patrick Osborn   07795 151262 

Facilities Assistant and Van Driver  David Carmichael   07393 008717

The Whitworth Café

The Whitworth Café   whitworth.cafe@manchester.ac.uk   or telephone 0161 275 7497

Operations Manager   Adam Woof   or telephone 07717 336176

Conference and Events conference@manchester.ac.uk   or telephone 0161 306 4100

Weddings  weddings@manchester.ac.uk   or telephone 0161 275 2675

The Whitworth Cafe is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm, Thursdays until late.
 
Menu and service times are detailed here.

Online table reservations – click here

The Shop

The Whitworth Shop is open during gallery opening times

Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm, Thursdays 10am-9pm

Telephone during opening hours 07393008304

Visit The Whitworth Shop online