Ruth Mackenzie has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Arts in the House of Lords, taking on the role with a newly conferred peerage as part of Andy Burnham’s incoming government. The appointment places one of the most experienced figures in British arts administration at the centre of cultural policy at a moment of considerable uncertainty for the sector.
Mackenzie is currently Director of Arts at the British Council, a position she took up last year. Her career spans five decades of senior leadership across theatre, opera, festivals and arts funding. She served as General Director of Manchester International Festival, Director of Scottish Opera, Executive Director of Nottingham Playhouse and Co-Artistic Director at Chichester Festival Theatre. She has held roles at Arts Council England, the Southbank Centre and Opera North, and previously served as a special adviser to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Further afield, she worked as programme director for arts, culture and creative industries policy for the government of South Australia, and was director of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, one of the largest coordinated cultural programmes in British history.
Justine Simons, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture, offered warm congratulations on social media, describing Mackenzie as “a fearless champion of the arts and artists” and calling the appointment “a really smart move by Andy Burnham.”
The broader ministerial picture at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport sees Lisa Nandy remain as Culture Minister, Ian Murray MP reappointed as Minister of State, and Baroness Twycross continuing as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State alongside Stephanie Peacock MP and newly appointed Vicky Foxcroft MP.
Mackenzie’s arrival in the role will be watched closely by the arts sector, which has been navigating funding pressures, the ongoing consequences of Brexit on touring and cultural exchange, and a prolonged period of political instability. Her combination of practical leadership experience, policy knowledge and international perspective makes her a credible appointment for a government that has signalled a genuine intention to put arts and culture back at the centre of public life.
Photo: P C Robinson © Artlyst 2026
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