Arts star: West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Chief Executive Officer (designate) Graham Sheffield and Chief Secretary Henry Tang meet the media.

Adept arts administrator Graham Sheffield has been appointed West Kowloon Cultural District Authority's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Secretary Henry Tang announces.

Mr Sheffield is now the Artistic Director of the world-renowned Barbican Centre in London, one of the world's largest integrated multi-arts centres.

Mr Tang, who is also the WKCD Authority Board Chairman, told reporters today Mr Sheffield's appointment follows months of intensive global search and a highly competitive process. He will formally take up the CEO post in August, leading and managing the artistic and operational initiatives and projects related to the cultural district's development.

Right person

"Apart from his artistic and administration achievements, Graham puts strong emphasis on developing artistic talent and has a remarkable track record in arts education and audience building.

"More importantly, Graham has the vision and passion to work together with the local arts and culture community, as well as the Hong Kong public, to build a truly world-class arts and culture centre in West Kowloon that every Hong Kong citizen will be proud of," Mr Tang said.

For the past 15 years, Mr Sheffield has led the artistic vision, policy and strategy for Barbican. His work spans multiple art forms, including performing arts, visual arts, film and much more. He oversees a considerable operating budget and leads the marketing, new media and customer experience functions at this famous arts institution.

Mr Tang said the cultural district board has been deeply impressed by Mr Sheffield's arts credentials, his extensive network in the international arts circle, his focus on arts education, his experience in managing a top arts institution and, above all, his passion and commitment to the project.

Vision realisation

Saying Hong Kong is a city with a rich cultural history and a unique place which is ideally positioned to become the next great world art city, Mr Sheffield said he looks forward to bringing the vision of the cultural district to life.

"I am both thrilled and honoured to have been offered the opportunity to come to Hong Kong and lead the West Kowloon Cultural District development. The proposed project is, in my experience, unprecedented across the world in terms of its scale and ambition. I applaud the people of Hong Kong in their desire to see Hong Kong develop as a major global arts presence in the coming years, building on existing arts capacity and infrastructure, and adding substantially to the international dimension.

"Governments across the world increasingly recognise the vital importance of a healthy and vibrant arts scene in positioning major cities in the premier league. I look forward to working with new colleagues and friends here, sharing my experience, learning from you also. Our common purpose is to get this done, at the same time developing and realising new artistic ideas and projects together, for the benefit of Hong Kong, the region and the wider world.

"It's a defining moment for Hong Kong, and I, for one, am very optimistic about the future of its arts and cultural scene. You have ambition, you have potential, you have commitment. I am looking forward, and this is very important, to building and working with a team of people. It's not just about me, it's about a rounded team who is just as passionate about the arts as I am. A multi-skilled team and a multi-national team from here and around the world to address the different facets of this complex scheme. It will be an honour to lead that team."