Gwen Oakden appointed deputy to The Lowry’s CEO Julia Fawcett

The chief executive of The Lowry in Salford, Julia Fawcett OBE, has appointed the venue’s development director, Gwen Oakden, as her deputy as the arts centre continues to re-build its artistic and outreach programmes post-lockdown.

Oakden, who joined The Lowry in 2015 and leads the organisation’s fundraising activity, will work closely with Fawcett on The Lowry’s civic role, relationships across the sector and with key stakeholders.

Commenting on her appointment, Oakden said: “I’m thrilled to be stepping up to support Julia, the directors and creative team. The pandemic aside, there will be new and fresh challenges ahead that I look forward to working on to ensure we always get the best possible outcome for Salford.”

Julia Fawcett OBE added: “Gwen is a real asset to The Lowry and I’m so pleased that through this new role she will bring her experience and enthusiasm to support me in the areas of policy, advocacy and stakeholder engagement as we enter a very challenging period for the sector.”

The Lowry is a registered charity (No: 1053962) committed to using visual and performing arts to enrich people’s lives.