Image: Tilly Blyth - Director of The Weald & Downland Living Museum
The new appointment joins from the University of Leicester, where she was Professor and Head of the School of Museum Studies.
The Weald & Downland Living Museum in Chichester has announced Tilly Blyth as its new Director.
Blyth’s experience includes 20 years at the Science Museum, where she was Head of Collections and Principal Curator.
She joins from the University of Leicester, where she was Professor and Head of the School of Museum Studies.
The new appointment’s experience also extends to roles as a Trustee of the Bletchley Park Trust, a Member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and a member of English Heritage’s Blue Plaques panel.
Blyth said: “The Weald & Downland Living Museum holds a special place in people’s hearts, telling the stories of rural lives and promoting interest in the preservation of our architecture and crafts. I am thrilled to be leading this jewel of a museum that has so much to tell us about living with nature, in our past and our future.”
The appointment comes as Simon Wardell steps down from the role after six years. Reflecting on his tenure, Wardell said: “I am filled with a deep sense of pride and gratitude for my time at the Museum. It has been an extraordinary privilege to work here and an absolute joy to collaborate with such dedicated staff, passionate volunteers, and engaged visitors of all ages.
“I am immensely proud of all that we’ve accomplished together, and I believe now is the perfect time to pass the baton of leadership to Tilly..”
Jo Pasricha, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the museum shared an “immense thank you” to Wardell for his time leading the museum, and said the board was “excited to work with Tilly in a new era of advancing the Weald & Downland Living Museum’s mission as a heritage centre of excellence for visitors to enjoy”.
