Ben Walmsley

Professor Ben Walmsley is dean of cultural engagement at the University of Leeds (UK). He was the founder and inaugural director of the Centre for Cultural Value, where he now remains as associate director for policy.

Prior to his academic career, Walmsley worked as an arts manager for ten years, most recently as producer at the National Theatre of Scotland.

Since 2014, he has been the academic director of England’s national Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Programme.

Ben has published widely on arts marketing, arts management, cultural policy and cultural value. He recently led a national research project investigating the impacts of Covid-19 on the UK’s cultural sector and his monograph Audience Engagement in the Performing Arts was published in 2019.