Youth arts charity Artswork is promoting its deputy chief executive as it adopts a co-leadership model.

From April, Annabel Cook, who has been the Southampton based charity’s deputy CEO since 2021 will become co-chief executive alongside Louise Govier, its current CEO for the last six years.

The charity says the move will provide the charity “with increased leadership capacity and resilience at a time of significant change across the cultural sector”.

Cook and Govier added: “We’ve been working closely together for more than five years and really enjoy pooling our strengths and talents to innovate, find solutions and make the most of opportunities.

“Artswork supports thousands of young people every year to lead change in their communities and in their own lives: we hope that this evolution will enable us to extend that work even further.”

The move has been welcomed by Arts Council England’s South West Area Director Phil Gibby, who said: “We’re delighted to hear that Louise Govier and Annabel Cook will co-share the role of Artswork CEO from the Spring.

“For more than three decades, Artswork has created vital opportunities for children and young people to express themselves, explore their talents and experience the lifechanging value of creativity.

“That contribution is significant, and we look forward to seeing how this new leadership model will build on that legacy, to the benefit of a new generation.”

Cook joined Artswork as its head of education, skills and enterprise in 2019 and previously spent 14 years in senior roles at Hampshire Cultural Trust

Prior to joining Artswork Govier spent a decade with in management roles at the National Trust.

Other charities to adopt a co-leadership model over the last year include food poverty charity Trussell and Galop, which supports LGBT+ survivors of abuse.

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