Melanie Keen, Director of Iniva, has recently been appointed as an Independent Advisor to Government Art Collection’s advisory committee. This new appointment sees her providing advice on the policy and stewardship of the Collection, as well as approving the acquisition and commissioning of works of art with fellow advisors.
In the past year, Melanie has also been appointed to the British Council’s Visual Arts Acquisition Advisory Group, and invited by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to sit on the Suffrage Commission Panel to site a new sculpture in Parliament square to commemorate the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act. She also sits on the advisory board of AWITA (Association of Women in the Arts), and is a Governor at Stoke Newington School, Hackney which was awarded a Platinum Artsmark in 2016, the highest level in the creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. In September 2017, Melanie became a Leonardo for The Science Gallery London; as part of a wider group, that will act as the ‘brain trust’ for the Gallery, which brings together exceptional people from a range of backgrounds – science, technology, the arts, media, education and business.
Melanie joined Iniva in September 2015, and since then the organisation has significantly refreshed its mission putting the Stuart Hall Library at the centre of its artistic programme. In June 2017, Iniva was successful in securing status as an Arts Council England NPO (National Portfolio Organisation) for 2018-2022. Later this autumn Iniva will open the library on Saturdays with the generous support of Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and additional funding from Arts Council.
Established in 1994, Iniva is a pioneering organisation which has powerfully influenced discourse around artistic practice in relation to cultural diversity, internationalism and globalisation for over two decades. Coupled with Melanie’s experience in curating and developing arts policy, these appointments underline the importance of Iniva’s ongoing role as an expert in the field.