The HLF Committee for the South East is made up of leading figures in the heritage sector across the region chosen for their wide range of experience and local knowledge. Responsible for making decisions on regional applications to the Fund from £100,000 to £2million, the committee are supported by the regional HLF team for the South East based in London.

At the Ashmolean, one of the world’s leading university museums, Ms McCormack is responsible for exhibitions, touring and public programmes, as well as communications, digital and design. Prior to this she held a number of senior roles at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.

Commenting on her appointment Susan McCormack said: “I am delighted to be joining the Heritage Lottery Fund’s South East of England Committee. The HLF makes a real difference to the cultural life of the UK, encouraging hundreds of thousands of people to become involved with and celebrate our diverse heritage every year. I look forward to working with the Committee and with all the organisations across the region to ensure that the HLF is able to support many more successful projects for the future.”

Stuart McLeod, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East England, said: “We are extremely pleased to be welcoming Susan McCormack to the committee. She brings a wealth of experience to what is already a very strong team of decision makers. Her wide ranging expertise and strong regional awareness will be of great benefit to both HLF and the heritage of the South East.”

HLF funds an amazing array of projects that encompass all aspects of the UK’s rich and diverse heritage. The committee covers the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Kent, East and West Sussex, the Isle of Wight, the cities of Oxford, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Brighton & Hove, and the districts of West Berkshire, Reading, Woking, Bracknell Forest and Milton Keynes.  

2014 is the 20th anniversary of the National Lottery and during this period HLF has supported more than 3,700 projects in the South East distributing over £624million. These projects range from restoration of historic buildings, improvements to museums and galleries, makeovers for town parks, purchasing works of art and treasured artefacts, helping to conserve the natural environment, and promoting community involvement in conserving local social histories. HLF is also actively involved in supporting a wide range of projects marking the centenary of the First World War. The projects are both large and small ranging from multi-million pound building refurbishments to local youngsters tracing the history of their local town and filming a DVD or producing a play.

Notes to editors

Susan McCormack - biography
Susan McCormack is Director of Public Engagement at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, responsible for the museum’s exhibitions, touring and public programmes, as well as communications, digital and design. The Ashmolean is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading university museums as well as a world-class museum in the heart of England.

Susan was employed previously for over 16 years at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. She worked first as a curator, and then set up the international travelling exhibitions programme, before becoming Head of Contemporary Programmes. In this role she pioneered a vibrant, popular and critically acclaimed programme of exhibitions, artists’ commissions, live happenings and other initiatives which covered all aspects of contemporary culture. It also encouraged new audiences to engage with the historic collections of the V&A as a ‘contemporary’ museum was transformed and the V&A more than doubled its visitor figures. Key initiatives launched during her tenure were Friday Late, Fashion in Motion, the V&A Contemporary Gallery and V&A Garden Commissions. With wide ranging knowledge of art and design, her particular field of expertise is in new forms of public engagement.

Susan studied art history at the Australian National University and worked at the National Gallery of Australia before moving to the UK in 1991. She has been a member of the British Council Design Advisory Board and the Arts Council England Advisory Board, North of England and has acted as Trustee for Contemporary Applied Arts, London and Artpoint, Oxford.

Further information

For interview requests and images contact Phil Cooper, Heritage Lottery Fund on 07889 949173, email: phillipc@hlf.org.uk.