

Interview: Barbican Director for Arts and Participation, Devyani Saltzman
THE WICK: Talk us through a typical Monday.
Devyani Saltzman: Start with a quiet meditative moment and then black coffee. Afterwards, I like to walk in, continue to clear my mind and think about the day ahead. The key is keeping the long view on strategy and the overall programme as opposed to getting initially lost in noise and Outlook.
TW: You were appointed as the Director for Arts at the Barbican over a year ago. What has surprised you the most now that you’re inside the institution and what are you most excited about?
DS: I think what surprised me most was that across arts and participation programming there hadn’t been regular cross-team meetings to think as an overall team. I’m most excited about coming together to create cohesive programmatic dialogue and ideas-led seasons.
TW: Your role oversees the breadth of arts from visual arts to theatre, dance, and cinema. Which piece of programming has been most innovative in your view?
DS:
That’s definitely like choosing your favourite family member. I honestly think each is incredibly innovative in its own way. In terms of development, especially in technology, our Immersive department is the one I’m loving seeing expand and learn about.
TW:
In a time when cultural institutions are being asked to rethink their roles, what do you foresee for the institution of the future?
DS: In the next 5 to 10 years, I think they have to be less about events, more nimble, and more about the role they play as a platform in amplifying what artists and audiences are concerned by and care about and wish to experience to feel joy. They need to be spaces of gathering and civic purpose, and not afraid to be political and present ideas and tough questions that we all need clarity on in a world in chaos.
“They need to be spaces of gathering and civic purpose, and not afraid to be political and present ideas and tough questions that we all need clarity on in a world in chaos.”








