Wadley To Be London Arts Council Chair

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced that Veronica Wadley will be the next London Chair at Arts Council England.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport has approved the appointment following the unanimous recommendation of an independent panel.
The Mayor said: "Veronica Wadley is a hugely accomplished woman who has a proven passion for London and its unrivalled arts and culture. She will bring energy, drive and ambition to this vital sector that does so much for our quality of life in London and the capital's reputation around the world. I am delighted that she has agreed to accept the challenge."
Veronica Wadley commented: "I am delighted to accept this role. We are living in a golden age of the arts, thanks to the huge investment by successive governments. We want to build on this, even in the face of financial pressures.
"In the past twelve months I have visited a great many arts organisations, travelling the length and breadth of London and I am encouraged by the ingenuity and hard work that I have seen, both in the larger companies and at the grassroots. My task will be to ensure that we can support their excellence and innovation. I will do all I can to champion the arts in London, encouraging work of the highest quality at every level. I will work with ambition and caution."
Dame Liz Forgan, Chair of Arts Council England added: "Veronica's appointment means that our London and National Councils are finally at full strength, which is excellent news. We can now get on with the important job of supporting and developing the arts in London and the rest of the country."
Veronica Wadley was born in London and has worked on some of the biggest journalistic titles in the country. As well as editing the Evening Standard from 2002 to 2009, she worked at Vogue, the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail and the Sunday Mail titles. Under her editorship the Evening Standard, she won several awards for its arts coverage. She is due to take up her role with Arts Council England shortly.
(BMcN)