Introducing Historic Royal Palaces…
Historic Royal Palaces is the self-funding charity which looks after six iconic royal palaces (HM Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Banqueting House in London and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland). We welcome over 4 million visitors per year, have a staff of 1,200 and an annual turn-over of £100 million. Our charitable cause is to help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society, in some of the greatest palaces ever built.
Our Change Creation Plan
Historic Royal Palaces has a growing appetite for experimentation and innovation in interpretation, creative programming, and content creation – in the search for broadening our reach, impact and relevance. We are seeking to break free of the conventional ‘heritage model’ of visitor experience and create points of differentiation from others in the sector and distinctiveness for Historic Royal Palaces.
In 2014, the first artistic commission by the newly-established Creative Programming and Interpretation team, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red (the Poppies project) at the Tower of London was genuinely game-changing for us. It showed the value of having in-house creative producing expertise and the power of a new arts/heritage paradigm. Described by the Independent as ‘the most popular art installation as well as arguably the most effective expression of commemoration in British history’, it won the 2015 Sky Southbank Award for Visual Art.
Our aim now is to expand future horizons by creating the most fertile possible environment for game-changing projects to emerge and succeed, pursuing a culture of change and development so that in all areas and at all levels, we have a mind-set receptive to innovation.
We will introduce new examples of creativity, collaboration, reach and large-scale ambition into our future Strategic Plan, within a financial framework set by the Chief Financial Officer in which innovation can thrive. As the content creators pursue new models of working, research and development streams and methodologies, the finance team will transform into a business partner to help creative innovation succeed; managing uncertainty, creating metrics, finding pathways to profit and taking a balanced approach to risk across the organisation’s portfolio.
Sue Hall
Sue is the Finance Director for Historic Royal Palaces, responsible for advising and supporting all areas of financial and business decision-making. She was previously Director of Resources at Avon & Wiltshire NHS Mental Health Trust and has spent ten years in senior board level positions across the NHS. She has worked in both the public and private sectors, in higher education, car rental and local government.
Sue is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, former Chair of Pound Arts Centre, Wiltshire and current Trustee of The Choral Foundation at Hampton Court Palace. She was Deputy Chair of Bath Business Women’s Association, supporting women in all types of business from sole traders to large corporates.
