Abigail Pogson

Last updated
Abigail Pogson
BornSeptember 1974 (age 51)
Yorkshire, England
CitizenshipBritish
Education
OccupationArts administrator
Years active1990s–present
Employer Barbican Centre
Known forCEO of the Barbican Centre, CEO of The Glasshouse
TitleChief Executive Officer

Abigail Pogson is a British arts executive who was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Barbican Centre in September 2025, taking up the role in January 2026. [1] She previously served as Chief Executive of The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (formerly Sage Gateshead) for a decade from 2015 to 2025. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Pogson was born and grew up in Yorkshire. [3] She studied Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge and subsequently completed an MA in Cultural Management at City, University of London. [3]

Career

Early positions

Following her postgraduate studies, Pogson began working in the arts sector. Her early career included positions at English National Opera, Music Theatre Wales, and the Society for the Promotion of New Music (now Sound and Music). [3] In 2007–08, she was a Fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme. [3]

Before joining Sage Gateshead, Pogson served as Chief Executive of Spitalfields Music, a charity based in East London known for its Summer and Winter Festivals and year-round Learning and Participation Programme. [4]

Sage Gateshead and The Glasshouse

Pogson was appointed managing director of Sage Gateshead in 2015, succeeding Anthony Sargent CBE after a phased handover. [4] During her tenure, the venue welcomed over two million visitors annually and engaged more than 1.7 million young people in music education and performance activities. [5]

In 2023, under Pogson's leadership, Sage Gateshead was rebranded as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music following the announcement that a neighbouring arena would take the Sage name. [6] The rebrand involved extensive public consultation, with the new name referencing the venue's distinctive architecture featuring 630 panes of glass. [7]

During her decade at the organisation, The Glasshouse contributed an estimated £1 billion to the local economy and opened music education opportunities to 1.8 million young people. [8]

Barbican Centre

In September 2025, following an international recruitment process, Pogson was appointed chief executive officer of the Barbican Centre, Europe's largest arts complex. [1] She assumed the role on 5 January 2026, succeeding former CEO Clare Spencer and interim CEO David Farnsworth. [1] Her appointment coincided with the Barbican Renewal programme, a £191 million investment by the City of London Corporation to restore and revitalise the Grade II listed buildings. [1]

Board memberships and advisory roles

Pogson has served on several cultural organisation boards. She was appointed to the National Council of Arts Council England in May 2022 for a four-year term running until May 2026. [9] She served as a trustee for V&A Dundee [10] and as Chair of Sunderland Empire Theatre Trust. [9] She is a director of the North East England Chamber of Commerce, [2] Chair of Theatre Green Book, [11] and vice-president of the European Concert Hall Organisation. [1] [12] l [13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Abigail Pogson announced as new Barbican Centre CEO" (Press release). City of London Corporation. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Abigail Pogson". Arts Professional. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Abigail Pogson". Newcastle University. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Abigail Pogson appointed Sage Gateshead's Managing Director". International Society for the Performing Arts. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "What is the New Name of Sage Gateshead as it is Renamed The Glasshouse". Living North. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Sage Gateshead rebrands as The Glasshouse International Centre for Music". Classical Music. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "The Sage Gateshead becomes The Glasshouse". Complete Music Update. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Glasshouse chief Abigail Pogson departing to lead Europe's largest arts complex". Prolific North. 2 September 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  9. 1 2 "YolanDa Brown, William Bush, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, Abigail Pogson, Deborah Shaw and Veronica Wadley (Baroness Fleet) have been appointed as National Council Members for Arts Council England" (Press release). UK Government. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "V&A Dundee appoints new Board members". V&A Dundee. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "Theatre Green Book to become independent organisation". 2025-11-14. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  12. ↑ "Five concerthall chiefs form cabal". 2025-11-23. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  13. ↑ "ECHO: Organisation" . Retrieved 2026-01-08.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.