LONDON.- The British Museum has today announced that Dr Xerxes Mazda will be joining its Executive team as the new Director of Collections. Mazda will be responsible for the stewardship and care of the collection, and will play a key role in the strategic leadership of the Museum, as well as on the Masterplan.
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Mazda is currently Director of Collection and Curation at the British Library. He has spent the past thirty years in the cultural and museum sector working for major UK institutions, including eight years at the British Museum from 2005–2013. He was Head of Interpretation and then Head of Learning, Volunteers and Audiences responsible for the British Museum’s visitor experience, overseeing the public programming of 20 major special exhibitions and six new permanent galleries.
Dr Xerxes Mazda said: “I am delighted to be coming back to the British Museum at this turning point in its history to lead the committed curatorial teams who look after one of the greatest collections in the world.
“There are some big opportunities on the horizon with the Masterplan, and I am passionate about working collaboratively to look at how we’re engaging visitors with our objects in the best way possible through exhibitions and outreach. It is vital too that as an institution we remain curious – continuing to expand our own knowledge of the collection through research and partnership to balance our role as both a much loved attraction but also as a centre of educational excellence.”
Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the British Museum, welcomed the appointment saying: “I am truly delighted to have Xerxes joining our outstanding team. He brings a wealth of experience that will be invaluable to the Museum – especially at this moment in our history.
“Xerxes is respected across the sector, and as we build momentum on the delivery of our Masterplan, I am thrilled to know we will have Xerxes’ input on how we collectively reimagine the British Museum in collaboration with a global community for the widest possible audience and future generations.”
Dr Xerxes Mazda will join the British Museum as Director of Collections in the spring.
The Director of Collections leads the Collections Directorate supporting the curatorial teams to achieve and maintain excellence in the stewardship of the collection. They play a key role as part of the senior leadership team, deputising for the Director and contributing to the development and delivery of the Museum’s future strategy work including the Masterplan.
Xerxes Mazda has been the Director of Collection and Curation at the British Library since 2021 and has spent the past thirty years in the cultural and museum sector. At the British Library he led the curatorial teams and has been responsible for a number of major digitisation, access and research programmes including the Endangered Archives Programme.
Before this he held senior roles at National Museums Scotland as Director of Collections from 2015–2021. Here he led the collections elements of major capital projects: thirteen award-winning new galleries at the National Museum of Scotland, new displays in two hangers at the National Museum of Flight, and eighteen exhibitions. He also produced a new vision for the National Museums Collection Centre, turning it from a store to a research and collections campus.
He worked at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada as Deputy Director of Engagement from 2013–2015 and also worked as Head of Interpretation and then Head of Learning, Volunteers and Audiences at the British Museum between 2005 and 2013. At the British Museum he was responsible for the visitor experience and oversaw the public programming of 20 major special exhibitions and six new permanent galleries.
He began his career at the Science Museum on their curatorial training scheme before becoming Principal Curator, ICT and Head of Collections Access where he was responsible for increasing access to the collections and setting up the Museum’s volunteer scheme. He was also responsible for running the Science Museum’s object storage at Blythe House.
He has an MA in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. He also has a Masters in the History of Technology from Imperial College, London.
He is a Member of the Kew Gardens Scientific Advisory Committee and a Board Member of the Academic Libraries North, Britten Pears Arts and a Director of the Consortium of European Research Libraries.
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