Sam Jones

I graduated with degrees in History and the History of Art, worked in advertising and then for seven years in a thinktank (Demos). There, I looked at the role of the arts and culture in society, and how important the arts and capabilities in respect of the visual and the creative are in understanding the world.

I now work at Tate, leading on areas that include strategy and policy. I look at how Tate fits into the wider world and what part a gallery can play in society today. If you think about it, many of the ways in which we experiecne the world – from Youtube to simply walking down the street – depend upon our being able to understand other people’s creative expression. That might be a film they have made with a mobile phone to the way a building looks or something is made. Where do people get the skills to understand, be confident in and take part in that environment.