Paul Sapwell has been Chief Executive of Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT) since 2018, leading a network of 20 museums, arts centres and heritage sites that welcome over 750,000 visitors each year. The Trust delivers a diverse cultural programme spanning visual arts, live performance, museum exhibitions, learning programmes and targeted social impact projects.
After an early career in finance and hospitality, Paul helped transform the Youth Hostel Association into a vibrant, resilient and modern charity, holding senior roles in regional and national operations and later as Head of Commercial.
Since joining HCT, Paul has driven bold reform, securing investment in many of the Trust’s venues, turning them into dynamic, thriving spaces that host high-profile national exhibitions alongside high-quality local programmes. He has strengthened the Trust’s commercial focus, building financial resilience in the face of significant cuts to local authority funding. Under his leadership, HCT has built ambitious partnerships with organisations including Ubisoft, the Universities of Southampton and Winchester, and Hampshire CAMHS, and has secured over £15M in fundraising.
As part of his role, Paul has led the development of Culture Connects, chairing its partner group and guiding its evolution. He also plays an active role in national and regional advocacy, serving on the steering group of the English Civic Museums Network, working with Arts Council England and DCMS to help secure a sustainable future for civic museums.
Paul champions a flexible, entrepreneurial approach to cultural delivery, rejecting one-size-fits-all models in favour of pragmatic solutions shaped around the needs and interests of different audiences and communities. At the heart of his work is a commitment to creating a positive, resilient future for culture in all its forms, connecting people and inspiring creativity in everyone regardless of background or circumstances.
Hampshire Cultural Trust
Hampshire Cultural Trust was established as an independent charity in 2014 to promote Hampshire as a county that offers outstanding cultural experiences to both its residents and visitors. We manage and support visitor attractions, museums, art galleries and arts centres across Hampshire that were previously operated by Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council. We run a huge variety of workshops, classes, events and projects for both young and old, in schools and in communities, with particular emphasis on reaching people who are vulnerable or disadvantaged and would not normally be able to access arts and culture.
View directory entry
Related links
Contact us
