Virginia Tandy OBE is Director of Culture for Manchester City Council.
Virginia has a wealth of experience in cultural development in the North West of England and more widely. She has worked in a variety of roles in local authorities, the charitable sector and in the North West office of the Arts Council.
As Director of Manchester City Galleries, she oversaw a major expansion and refurbishment of Manchester Art Gallery, which opened to critical acclaim in 2002. She led the creation of Manchester's Cultural Strategy and currently leads development teams at Director level within the museums sector in Manchester and the North West region, delivering Renaissance in the Regions. She has also headed a national women's leadership network for museums.
Virginia has been involved in a range of boards and committees, including membership of the Arts Council's Lottery Advisory Panel; Chair of Manchester's Creative Industries Development Service; Board Member of the National Museums, Libraries and Archives Council; and Member of the UK Cultural Heritage Skills Advisory Panel. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and from 2006 to 2008 was President of the Museums Association, the professional body for the sector in the UK.