Overview
- The Barbican confirms Devyani Saltzman will leave in May and says the Director for Arts post has been abolished as part of organisational change ahead of redevelopment.
- An open letter signed by more than 200 arts professionals demands a full public rationale, an independent review into the careers of global majority leaders, and publication of senior leadership diversity data.
- Prominent signatories include Salman Rushdie, John Akomfrah, Jasleen Kaur, Isaac Julien, Ekow Eshun, Dorothy Price, Nitin Sawhney, Anoushka Shankar and former Barbican artistic director Graham Sheffield.
- The letter argues the decision affects one of the institution’s few South Asian senior leaders and states this is not a routine HR matter for a publicly funded cultural venue.
- Context includes 2021 reports describing the Barbican as “institutionally racist,” a 2024 anti-racism action plan, the January arrival of chief executive Abigail Pogson, and a major renovation backed by £191m from the City with a planned 12‑month closure from June 2028.