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

COVID-19 Update: Caring for the health and wellbeing of our visitors, staff, and volunteers is our priority. For up-to-date opening times and further information please see our Your Visit section of this website.

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

Data Manager Helen Mark 07831 112808

Visitor Team

Head of Visitor Team / Access Lead Chad McGitchie 07500 973269

Visitor Team Manager Ashleigh Owen 07867 501273

Visitor and Volunteer Coordinator Tahmina Rahman 07798 924196

Visitor Team Coordinator Rose Holden 07425 619728

Marketing & Communications

Press and Media: Please see our Press and Media page for further information, press releases, and press images.

Cultural Communications Coordinator Joanne Hitchen

Digital Communications Officer Steve Devine 07786 027328

Development

Grant Writer Olga Gribben 0161 275 8458

Finance & Commercial Team

The Whitworth Shop is currently closed, our new online shop will launch in Spring 2021.

Head of Cultural Enterprise & Income Generation   David Bryan

Finance Officer   David Allred 0161 275 7456

Events Coordinator   Leanne Lightfoot

Learning and Engagement

Head of Learning and Engagement Ed Watts 0161 275 8459

Learning Manager Andrew Vaughan

Early Years Coordinator Lucy Turner

Primary Coordinator Steven Roper

Secondary and FE Coordinator Denise Bowler 07342 066483
(Wednesday – Thursday)

Youth Engagement Coordinator Sally Thelwell 07919 560477
(Monday – Wednesday)

Volunteer Manager Fiona Cariss 07554 778269
Currently on maternity leave

Visitor and Volunteer Coordinator Tahmina Rahman 07798 924196
(2 days a week)

Cultural Park Keeper Francine Hayfron 07795 128868

Age-Friendly Culture Coordinator Claire Cowell 07776 170688
(Part-time)

Collections and Exhibitions

Collections: Loans Out information

Due to the impact of COVID-19 on our programme and capacity, the Whitworth has placed a pause on reviewing external loans until 31 July 2021. In that time, we will be focusing our reduced resources on honouring commitments to lend that we have already made. We welcome enquiries and requests to borrow from the collections once again from 1 August 2021 and from that date, there will be a 12 month lead-in time for all requests.

Please direct initial loan enquiries by email to Imogen Holmes-Roe.

For enquiries about our collections or potential donations please contact the relevant curator. Part-time hours and usual working days are referenced below.

Head of Collection and Exhibitions Samantha Lackey
Currently on secondment

Acting Head of Collection and Exhibitions and Senior Curator, Textiles and Wallpaper Dominique Heyse-Moore 0161 275 8450

Curator, Modern and Contemporary Leanne Green 0161 275 8450
(Monday – Friday)

Curator, Exhibitions Poppy Bowers 0161 275 7479
(Monday – Wednesday, occasionally Tuesday or Thursday)

Curator, Historic Fine Art Imogen Holmes-Roe 0161 275 8450
(Monday – Thursday)

Curator, Constituent Museum Denise Bowler 07342 066483
(Monday, Tuesday and Friday)

Curator, Textiles and Wallpaper Amy George 0161 275 8450
(Monday – Thursday) currently on maternity leave

Collection Information Manager, part-time John Peel 0161 235 8892
(Part-time)

Collections Care and Access

Collections Care Manager and Conservator, Textiles Ann French 0161 275 7807
(Part-time)

Conservator, Preventive and Sculpture Sarah Potter 0161 275 7807

Conservator, Paper Dan Hogger 0161 275 7807

Gallery and Museum Registrar Gillian Smithson 0161 275 2652 or 07920 806147
(Monday – Wednesday)

Collections Image Reproductions and Copyright Jamilla Briggs 0161 275 8450
(Part-time: Friday)

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 Emma Brown 0161 275 7807
(Monday – Wednesday)

Buildings and Operations Team

Head of Buildings and Operations Dean Whiteside

Buildings and Operations Manager Luke Gleadall 07584543856

Events Services Supervisor Peter Sweetman 07766 070078

Landscape and Sustainability Technician Patrick Osborn 07795 151262

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