Canadian curators take the reins at UK institutions, Barbican and Spike Island

Left to right: Devyani Saltzman and Nicole Yip
Photo: Saltzman: © Paul Saltzman; Yip: No Credit
Two important UK arts institutions will soon be under new leadership. In a key move, Devyani Saltzman of Canada has been appointed director for Arts and Participation at the Barbican arts centre in London.
Saltzman was previously the director of public programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario. “Key to her vision for the next chapter of the Barbican is the potential to create a new type of ethos in public institutions that is truly in service to their people and public, in addition to presenting the best of cutting-edge programming,” a press statement says. Her new book, EXITING: Towards a Future of Work that Serves Us All, will be published by Random House next year.
Saltzman joins the Barbican following a period of tumult. Will Gompertz was appointed director of arts and learning at the Barbican in March 2021, later becoming artistic director. Late last year, he left the museum after being appointed the director of Sir John Soane’s Museum in London.
In 2021, the Barbican Centre carried out an extensive staff reorganisation following the publication of a book that included more than 100 alleged instances of prejudicial behaviour at the City of London cultural venue. Gompertz was at the forefront of implementing the organisation’s anti-racism plan. Saltzman is part of a new raft of appointments, joining Ali Mirza who was recently named director of People, Culture and Inclusion.
Meanwhile, Canada-born Nicole Yip has been appointed the new director of Spike Island, Bristol. Yip is currently the chief curator of exhibitions & live programmes at Nottingham Contemporary and will take up her new position in June. She succeeds Robert Leckie, who recently joined Gasworks in London as director.
Yip curated the current exhibitions on show at Nottingham Contemporary dedicated to the artists Paul Mpagi Sepuya and Dora Budor (until 5 May). The Los Angeles-based photographer Sepuya, known for his intimate portraits of friends and colleagues from queer and creative communities, is showing more than 40 works in Nottingham while Budor has unveiled “a series of newly commissioned works concerned with techniques of the built environment”, a press statement says.
Yip was previously the director of Lux Scotland and has also held curatorial positions at Lux, London, Firstsite in Colchester and ICA, London.

source