Alex Graham has resigned as chair of The Space, the troubled £16m digital arts joint venture between the BBC and Arts Council England, after a year in the post.
Graham, founder of TV production company Wall to Wall Media, said he resigned because “I just didn’t feel I had the time to do it justice.”
He also chairs the Sheffield International Documentary Festival and is a board member of the Scott Trust (owner of Guardian Media Group).
The Space has also engaged recruitment agency Ogers to find a replacement for the launch director, Ruth Mackenzie who leaves in April.
The venture began in 2012, with £3.7m of Lottery funding and BBC support, to capture the work of the Cultural Olympiad.
In March 2014 Tony Hall, director general of the BBC committed £8m of backing to The Space, over a three-year period, as part of his high profile BBC arts policy and partnership plans. Its annual budget is £7.6m. Jonty Claypole, the BBC arts director, sits on The Space’s board.
Graham, appointed in February 2014, headed a relaunch last June at Tate Modern where he said: “We want to be in a position where we could help artists embrace this brave but sometimes scary new world.”
However, Graham says the BBC and ACE are looking to shift The Space’s focus, a move confirmed by venture’s spokesperson.
“Its operating model is changing, to focus on its core mission to commission artists and organisations to create works inspired by or using digital technology,” she said.
Last October the poor quality of The Space’s website, low profile in the arts world, and lack of BBC archive arts content were the subject of public criticism.
The Space had keen support from Alan Davey, the former Arts Council chief executive, but he moved last year to run Radio 3.
Ruth Mackenzie, original founder and launch director and former adviser to five Labour culture secretaries, is leaving her £90,000 post after an extension of her contract. She was appointed director of this summer’s Holland Festival last September.
