Culture czar takes up new Brighton and Hove City Council role

A culture czar has been appointed to a top city job.

Paula Murray is the first assistant chief executive at Brighton and Hove City Council.

She takes up the newly created post after almost 14 years in a range of roles in relation to the city’s cultural portfolio and also economic development.

Her most recent role as commissioner for culture covered commissioning activity in the arts, heritage and tourism.

A spokesperson for the council said: “She has been a key player in the development of Brighton and Hove’s vibrant and successful creative cultural sector, which is seen as an essential element of making the city attractive to inward investors.

“The cultural and creative industries, employing about 11% of the city’s workforce, have also played an important role in broadening the local economic base, which has helped the city weather the economic downturn since 2008.”

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Comments(17)

heartthrob says...
8:29am Thu 21 Mar 13

and whats her salary and how will we ensure she represents value for money - come on argus

Crystal Ball says...
8:37am Thu 21 Mar 13

Just like "The Devil Wears Prada" there will most likely be a Second Assistant along too. A CEO should be a single post and not have lackeys, hangers-on and rear-kissers.

Totally laughable. And I don't mean the film.

mimseycal says...
8:41am Thu 21 Mar 13

She was appointed quite a while ago. A note of her appointment was news on 12 March 2013 on Brighton Business

PETE OF QUEENS PARK says...
9:26am Thu 21 Mar 13

More waste of money,how many more are going to join the Green gravy train

Morpheus says...
9:26am Thu 21 Mar 13

When things are going wrong - appoint more senior managers.

mimseycal says...
9:31am Thu 21 Mar 13

Morpheus wrote:
When things are going wrong - appoint more senior managers.
You know what they say ... a trouble shared is a trouble halved.

This is even more relevant when it comes to organisations. The more desks there are, the more hidden drawers for the buck to pass to ... and get lost in ;-)

mustaphaLeeko says...
9:33am Thu 21 Mar 13

Yet more Chiefs and not enough Indians!

Typical of Council waste with their dictats to create more toadying lackeys to bolster their Green ideals I would imagine.

14 years doing the same job, and now they have to create a job title for it, as Del Boy would say, "that's a nice little earner".

Lady Smith says...
9:41am Thu 21 Mar 13

Oh, some of the 'commentators' on here do make me laugh - but not in a good way...apparently, you seem to think local government just runs itself and doesn't need Chief Execs or senior managers or heads of departments. Or indeed anyone who might actually have been doing a good job for many years and deserve their salaries, for which they have to work WAY over the '9-5' hours that their job descriptions state. Well done all of you for being sucked in by the Murdoch-led 'bash council employees' headlines.

mimseycal says...
9:46am Thu 21 Mar 13

No Lady Smith, no bashing of council employees ... merely a statement of fact based on observation. When it comes to organisations, when the going gets tough, the tough employ another manager.

DC78 says...
10:18am Thu 21 Mar 13

Lady Smith wrote:
Oh, some of the 'commentators' on here do make me laugh - but not in a good way...apparently, you seem to think local government just runs itself and doesn't need Chief Execs or senior managers or heads of departments. Or indeed anyone who might actually have been doing a good job for many years and deserve their salaries, for which they have to work WAY over the '9-5' hours that their job descriptions state. Well done all of you for being sucked in by the Murdoch-led 'bash council employees' headlines.
I think it would have been helpful if the Argus had actually given details of her salary and what exactly she is supposed to do for the city?

mnairb says...
10:41am Thu 21 Mar 13

Could Lady Smith be a nom-de-plume for the Council's Chief Executive?

mtmoocher says...
10:47am Thu 21 Mar 13

Lady Smith wrote:
Oh, some of the 'commentators' on here do make me laugh - but not in a good way...apparently, you seem to think local government just runs itself and doesn't need Chief Execs or senior managers or heads of departments. Or indeed anyone who might actually have been doing a good job for many years and deserve their salaries, for which they have to work WAY over the '9-5' hours that their job descriptions state. Well done all of you for being sucked in by the Murdoch-led 'bash council employees' headlines.
The question is that in these times of austerity why does a relatively small organisation such as BHCC need more expensive management. Remember the administration only serves about 250,000 people after all. To any sane individual, it would appear that someone isn't pulling their weight (& yes, attending all those out of hours functions must get tiring,) or the system is top heavy.

Bt'n-breezy says...
1:21pm Thu 21 Mar 13

We have to thank our far-sighted arts community and the politicians that have helped them for helping to save the conurbation's economic bacon in these hard times. All the arts are necessary for a full life.

PorkBoat says...
3:07pm Thu 21 Mar 13

I've read this article about 6 times already, and can't work out what it is she is supposed to do.

Valerie Paynter says...
4:55pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Paula has a lot of determination and whilst this raises my eyebrows just a tad, she must be given her due.

She was responsible for most of the public art choices on our streets and in the parks over a few years...

She was, I believe, a dancer, some years ago now...before she became a council officer.

She is arts focussed.

PorkBoat says...
5:03pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Valerie Paynter wrote:
Paula has a lot of determination and whilst this raises my eyebrows just a tad, she must be given her due.

She was responsible for most of the public art choices on our streets and in the parks over a few years...

She was, I believe, a dancer, some years ago now...before she became a council officer.

She is arts focussed.
So what does she actually do then?

mimseycal says...
5:08pm Thu 21 Mar 13

Wonderful ... arts focused. Well, yes we need arts as well as bread to function as people but ... We need housing, we need road repairs, we need so many things in this city. Do I really think this is the time to appoint a high salaried deputy to a very well thank you very much paid CEO?

Sorry, I am not convinced and think it an ill timed appointment.

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