About me
As CEO of Southbank, Elaine manages the largest arts centre in Europe. Southbank is a cultural and commercial site of 11 acres along the River Thames in the centre of London. It is 37% public funded - the rest is funded from commercial enterprise (tickets, restaurants and retail) and philanthropy. The site comprises concert halls - including the Royal Festival Hall - a contemporary Art gallery (the Hayward) as well as other performing arts spaces. The artistic programme is year-round, 5 days a week and over 40% of the events are free. Elaine has been CEO for 5 years and as SC emerges from the constraints of the pandemic, she is prioritising those partnerships which support arts and wellbeing, healing, inclusion and community connection. Elaine previously enjoyed a 25 year career in media, and was the BBC’s Controller of Entertainment BBC as well as ITV’s Director of Entertainment and Comedy. She was appointed a trustee of the V&A museum in 2015 and was Chair of the Edinburgh Television Festival for 5 years.
