Chief Executive Gareth Redston hands over Manchester Jewish Museum for the next part of its journey
After a decade at Manchester Jewish Museum, including the last three years as Chief Executive, Gareth Redston stepped down from his role in May. His decision marks the end of a transformative chapter for the museum, as he makes way for someone new to lead it into its next stage.
Gareth led the museum through a substantial period of change, following the museum’s major redevelopment in 2021. He established the museum as an organisation of national and international importance, drawing praise and recognition from press, industry and audiences, welcoming in thousands of new visitors to the museum during challenging times. He also chaired Cheetham Cultural Festival, an annual celebration of the wonderfully rich cultural diversity of our local area, and planned its programme together with 150 other community members and local organisations.
Stepping into the role of Interim Chief Executive is the museum’s Programmes Manager, Gemma Meek, who will help steer the organisation through this important transition while the search for a permanent CEO continues.
Gareth hasn’t gone far, he’s taken up a new position as Director of Creative Engagement and Impact at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, building upon his success at the museum to support community engagement at the theatre.
We sat down with Gareth before he left to talk about his time at the museum, his proudest moments, and what lies ahead:
How does it feel to be leaving after ten years?
It feels slightly surreal and I’m sure it won’t fully sink in until after I’ve left. The museum, the team here and our amazing communities have been one of the most important things in my life for the last ten years so I’ll miss it a lot.
What are you most proud of from your time at the museum?
The museum has changed a lot in the last ten years. The thing I’m proudest of is the number of people who comment on how warm and welcoming the museum now feels. We’ve worked really hard to make that happen so it always makes me smile when someone says we made them feel that way. I also love how embedded the museum now is in community life in Cheetham. We always set out to try and make the new museum as relevant and useful as possible for our diverse local communities so it’s great to see that working so well.
How has the museum evolved during your time?
Well there’s certainly a lot more space than when I started! It’s been great to see the new museum that we spent so long planning and imagining working so well. More important than the physical changes though are the changes in the way we work with our audiences. We’re now really committed to co-creation and working in a really democratic way where our communities work with us to shape the work we do together.
What’s next for you?
I’m joining Octagon Theatre Bolton as their new Director of Creative Engagement and Impact. It’s a new role aimed at helping the theatre connect more with local communities and maximise the social impact of their work. I’ll be drawing on the experience I’ve gained here at the museum, especially in our work with the diverse local communities of Cheetham Hill and our amazing Synagogue Nights performance seasons so I’m really grateful to the museum for the amazing opportunities to grow that I’ve been given in the last ten years.
We wish Gareth all the best in his new adventure, and thank him for the warmth, creativity, and commitment he brought to Manchester Jewish Museum over the past ten years.
