Helen Featherstone

Helen Featherstone
Role
Director of England, North
Throughout her 25-year career in arts and heritage, Helen has championed and advocated access to heritage, arts and culture for all.

An inclusive and dynamic leader with a people-centred approach she is passionate about the role that heritage plays in helping us make sense of the world around us.

Prior to joining the Heritage Fund in 2023, she was Deputy Director and part of the Executive Team at Yorkshire Sculpture Park where she was responsible for business planning and overseeing estates, finance, development, marketing, trading, visitor experience, administration and HR.

Helen was also CEO of Sheffield Industrial Museums, where she worked with the local community and developers to win the Academy of Urbanism Best British Neighbourhood Award for a heritage-led regeneration approach. 

Helen has a MA in Cultural Policy and Management and a BA in History of Art and Design. She has also worked at Arts Council England and had several culture focused roles in local government where she was responsible for audience development, wellbeing and working with a range of diverse communities. 

Helen also has extensive experience of trustee positions, most recently Chair of Greentop Circus in Sheffield, and up until joining the Heritage Fund was a Private Sector Board member of West Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership. She worked with Mayor Tracy Brabin as Vice Chair to establish an Arts, Heritage and Sport Committee to demonstrate the importance of culture in West Yorkshire. 

In her spare time Helen enjoys yoga, keeping active with her whippet Leonard and bird watching as well as frequenting the theatre, galleries, and many heritage venues.

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