Four Liveries Lecture 2021

07 September 2021

The 2021 Four Liveries Lecture was organised by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. We were honoured to have as the Guest Speaker Sir Ian Blatchford, Director and Chief Executive of the Science Museum Group.

Where is the centre of gravity?

The past decade has seen the intense debate about the joys and perils of social media, the brutal realities of fiscal austerity since 2010, the fact of Brexit, the rising Culture Wars, and the harsh realities of Covid-19. It is a tough time to be a public leader, as the intense and churlish scrutiny of museum directors, university leaders and others can well attest. How is it possible to navigate such choppy waters and where is 'public service' in all of this?

Ian Blatchford has been Director of the Science Museum since 2010 and also of the Science Museum Group, the largest alliance of science museums in the world. He was also Chairman of the National Museum Directors' Council, which is the 'Russell Group' of the UK Museum Sector, for four years until March 2021.


 The Lecture can be viewed here. 


The lecture took place at Glaziers' Hall, and was open to members of the Clockmakers, Lightmongers, Spectacle Makers and Scientific Instrument Makers. Please contact the Clerk for more information.