Andrew was Chair of Creative Futures from March 2012, and we are greatly saddened to learn of his sudden death on 18th February: he will be greatly missed by us all.
I first met Andrew when he interviewed me for a junior post at OUP, in the Repertoire Promotion Department, in 1997. It was my first proper job, and even though he was head of the department, and not directly my manager, he always took a supportive and nurturing interest: qualities which he displayed across his professional and musical life.
Given the scale and prestige of many of the organisations he was involved with, I was quite surprised when Andrew accepted my invitation to become Chair of the Board of Creative Futures in 2012. We were then only a fledgling charity with a handful of projects, and no employed staff. But Creative Futures’ mission – to bring high quality participatory arts experiences to children from deprived backgrounds – was close to his heart and he oversaw a period of rapid growth of the organisation, bringing us clear strategic thinking, knowledge and insight, as well as strengthening and developing the board.
Andrew will be missed here: at our board meetings and other gatherings, and as we move forward with the next stage of our journey, one for which we fully expected Andrew to be at the helm. On a professional and personal level, I will miss his sound advice – and our regular meetings over coffee or lunch. We will endeavour to carry his spirit forward in what we do, and continue to make Creative Futures an enterprise of which he would be proud, just as we will remain honoured and privileged to have had his involvement.
Julian Knight
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