Our Staff
You can contact the Whitworth via our main telephone number, on 0161 275 7450, or you can contact individual staff members below.
If you have general enquiries about a visit to the gallery, please email the Visitor Team, and if you’d like to keep in touch, please join our mailing list.
If you'd like to join the names on this list please take a look at the vacancies we're currently advertising
Directorate
Director Alistair Hudson
Alistair Hudson was appointed Director of the Whitworth and Manchester Art Gallery in February 2018.
Prior to his move to Manchester Alistair was Director of Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art where his vision was based on the concept of the Useful Museum. In the preceding ten years he was Deputy Director of Grizedale Arts which gained critical acclaim for its radical approaches to working with artists and communities, based on the idea that art should be useful and not just an object of contemplation.
Alistair is co-director of the Asociación de Arte Útil with Tania Bruguera – an expansive international project and online archive that forms part of the Uses of Art programmes with the L’internationale confederation.
Senior Executive Assistant to the Director Helen Fairs 07825 316609
Data Manager Helen Mark 07831 112808
Visitor Teams and Marketing & Communications
Head of Visitor Team / Access Lead Chad McGitchie 07500 973269
Visitor Team Manager Ashleigh Owen 07867 501273
Visitor Team Coordinator Tahmina Rahman 07798 924196
Visitor Team Coordinator Camilla Frankl-Slater 07798 924196
Press and Media: Please see our Press and Media page for further information, press releases and press images
Cultural Communications Coordinator Joanne Hitchen 0161 275 7472
Digital Communications Officer Steve Devine 07786 027328
Design Manager, The Manchester Partnership Ian Smith
Learning and Engagement
Head of Learning and Engagement Ed Watts 0161 275 8459
Learning Manager Andrew Vaughan 0161 275 7453
Early Years Coordinator Lucy Turner 0161 275 7453
Family Friendly Coordinator Novae Lee 0161 275 8459
Primary Coordinator Steven Roper 0161 275 7453
Secondary and FE Coordinator Denise Bowler 0161 275 7453
Youth Engagement Coordinator Sally Thelwell 0161 275 7453 / 07919 560477
Volunteer Manager Fiona Cariss 0161 275 8459
Cultural Park Keeper Francine Hayfron 07795 128868
Student Engagement Coordinator Naomi Kashiwagi
Arts and Health Coordinator Wendy Gallagher 0161 275 8454
Age-Friendly Culture Coordinator Claire Cowell 07776 170688
Collections and Exhibitions
For enquiries about our collections or potential donations please contact the relevant curator.
For enquiries about curator-led tours or group study visits please contact Uthra Rajgopal by email
Head of Collection and Exhibitions Samantha Lackey
Senior Curator (Modern and Contemporary Art) part-time (Monday – Wednesday) Mary Griffiths 0161 275 8450
Assistant Curator (Fine Art) Leanne Green 0161 275 8450
Curator (Exhibitions) Poppy Bowers 0161 275 7479
Curator (Historic Fine Art) Imogen Holmes-Roe 0161 275 8450
Curator of the Musgrave Kinley Outsider Collection, part-time (Monday – Wednesday) Holly Grange 0161 275 8450
Senior Curator (Textiles and Wallpaper) (Monday – Thursday) Dominique Heyse-Moore 0161 275 8450
Curator (Textiles and Wallpaper) (Monday – Thursday) Amy George 0161 275 8450
Assistant Curator (Textiles and Wallpaper) Uthra Rajgopal 0161 275 8450
Collection Information Manager (part-time) John Peel 0161 235 8892
Development
Head of Development Jo Beggs 07917 553040
Grant Writer Olga Gribben 0161 275 8458
Finance & Commercial Team
Retail Manager and Buyer James Cragg
Merchandiser Rachel Dakin
Retail Supervisor Jessica Sharp
Shop telephone contact 0161 275 7498 / 07796996392
Head of Finance & Commercial Services David Bryan 0161 275 2651
Finance Officer David Allred 0161 275 7456
Events Coordinator Leanne Lightfoot 0161 275 7463
Collections Care and Access
Collections Care Manager and Conservator (Textiles) Ann French 0161 275 7807
Conservator (Preventive and Sculpture) Sarah Potter 0161 275 7807
Conservator (Paintings) Michael Bowes 0161 275 7807
Gallery and Museum Registrar Gillian Smithson 0161 275 2652 or 07920 806147
Collections Image Reproductions and Copyright, part-time (Friday) John Kirkpatrick 0161 275 8450 (Maternity Cover)
Senior Gallery Technician: Exhibitions and Collections Care Paul Adrian Smith 0161 275 7807
Senior Gallery Technician: Exhibitions and Collections Care Mark Buchanan 0161 275 7807
Gallery Technician: Conservation and Collections Care Leanne Smith 0161 275 7807
Buildings and Operations Team
Buildings and Operations Manager Clive Snell 0161 275 7460
Events Services Supervisor Peter Sweetman 07766 070078
Buildings and Operations Supervisor Anthony Blackburn 07917 552993
Landscape and Sustainability Technician Patrick Osborn 07795 151262
Van Driver/Art Handler Ray Warburton 07867 506944
AV/IT Technician Tristan Clutterbuck 07500 605339
The Modern Caterer (gallery cafe)
Contact Peter Booth & The Modern Caterer, via the General Manager at: The Modern Caterer 0161 275 7497
The Shop
For telephone orders 0161 275 7498 or 07796996392
