OCA Board of Trustees welcomes Sir William

The Open College of the Arts (OCA), our partner institute dedicated to the Creative Arts, is delighted to welcome Sir William Atkinson to its board of Trustees. Sir William, who was knighted in 2008 for Services to Education and Community, served as a headmaster for more than 24 years and is an Honorary Doctor of The Open University. In recent years Sir William has also been a member of several UK government groups, focusing on education and youth crime reduction.

His additional interests see Sir William as Chair of the Hackney Empire Board of Trustees, Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London and Trustee of the Clink Charity. In the past few years, he has also been a Trustee of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chair of Board of Trustees of The Lyric theatre in Hammersmith and Chair of the Canal and River Trust London & South East Advisory Board.

Of his appointment Sir William said: “I am looking forward with great anticipation to joining the Board of OCA and working with the other board members and the wider team, to creating the most conducive and productive learning environment for both students and staff.

“The emotional and physical well-being of all who work within the organisation must be a priority. I am also keen to see that issues of equality, diversity and inclusion are recognised and supported at all levels of the College.

“The range of creative subjects offered by OCA are not only relevant to individual career pathways, but also vital to the national economy.”

Will Woods, OCA Principal, welcomed Sir William and said: “The Open College of the Arts is committing to a challenging Equality and Diversity action plan this year to increase diversity at all levels of the organisation.

“We are hugely grateful to Sir William for accepting the invitation to join the Board of Trustees. Sir William’s knowledge and expertise will be valuable assets to support this commitment. His experience as a senior leader in education and governor is coupled with his support and participation in the creative arts arena.

“We also welcome Sir William’s incredibly valuable knowledge and direction as we move forward our agenda on issues of equality, diversity and inclusion. We are extremely pleased that Sir William will be an ambassador for us.”

From August 2023, all Open College of the Arts honours and masters degrees became accredited by The Open University. To learn more about our creative arts courses through The Open College of the Arts, and how to apply, visit The Open College of the Arts website.