New chair appointed for Arts Council of England, Midlands

LONDON:

Pawlet Brookes MBE, founder, CEO and artistic director of Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage in Leicester, has been appointed the new chair of Arts Council of England’s Midlands Area Council, succeeding Sukhy Johal MBE, whose second term came to an end in September.

Arts Council of England announced that Brookes will take up the role for a four-year term from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2029. She has been a longstanding member of the Midlands Area Council and brings extensive experience as a cultural leader, advocate and innovator.

Under her leadership, the Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage has become an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and a national leader in archiving, producing, and programming work that makes the invisible visible.

Commenting on her appointment, Brooks said: “I am honoured to take on the role of Chair for Arts Council England’s Midlands Area Council. I look forward to working alongside colleagues, partners and communities to champion creativity across the region, ensuring that artists, organisations and audiences have the opportunity to thrive and that the Midlands continue to be a place where culture is celebrated, supported and made accessible for all.”

The Leicester-based Serendipity Arts has been committed to championing black arts, heritage and cultural equity in the UK and internationally. As a curator and producer, Brookes established Let’s Dance International Frontiers, an annual festival that brings global dance practitioners to Leicester, and spearheaded The Living Archive, a major initiative preserving Black British arts and heritage for future generations.

She is also a regular speaker on equity and representation in the arts, contributing her expertise to national and international discussions on cultural policy and practice.

In recognition of her contribution, Brookes was awarded an MBE for Services to the Arts and Cultural Diversity in 2022. She was later honoured with an honorary fellowship from Northern School of Contemporary Dance (2023), an honorary doctor of Arts from De Montfort University (2025) and an honorary fellowship from Falmouth University (2025).

Darren Henley, chief executive, Arts Council England, said: “Pawlet brings a wealth of expertise to this role with a proven commitment to cultural equity, artistic excellence, creative innovation and community engagement. I look forward to working closely with her to support artists, organisations and audiences across the Midlands.”

Serendipity’s established programmes of activities include the flagship dance festival, Let’s Dance International Frontiers (LDIF), the Annual Windrush Day Lecture series and Black History Month Leicester. Serendipity has established a legacy through hosting and growing a living archive, documenting Black arts, heritage and culture, publishing the voices of Black arts practitioners and community activists, nurturing artists to create high quality new work, and mentoring young people.

Only last month it launched a ground breaking new master’s degree, MA Black British Dance and Performance with a key focus on impact, voice and gaze, accredited by Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD). It’s the first master’s degree dedicated to centring black British dance and performance within academic and professional contexts. It will provide a vital platform for artists, cultural leaders and researchers to interrogate identity, representation and heritage through the lens of dance.