Two Members reappointed to the RCEWA Committee
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-04)

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has reappointed Mark Hallett and Tim Pestell as Members to the RCEWA Committee.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has reappointed Mark Hallett and Tim Pestell as Members to the Reviewing Committee for the Export of Work of Art.

Mark Hallett (13 August 2025 - 12 August 2029)

Professor Mark Hallett has served as Märit Rausing Director of The Courtauld since August 2023, where he oversees all aspects of its work as both a specialist scholarly organisation and a world-class gallery.

Following his studies at Cambridge and The Courtauld, Professor Hallett started his career at the University of York, where he taught in the History of Art Department for eighteen years. In 2012, he moved to London to become Director of the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art, a post which he held for more than a decade.

Over his career, he has published numerous monographs and catalogues on the history of British art, and curated major exhibitions at Tate Britain, the Wallace Collection, the Royal Academy, and the Yale Center for British Art.

Tim Pestell (13 August 2025 - 12 August 2029)

Tim Pestell is the Senior Curator of Archaeology at Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, curating its nationally-significant collection of archaeological material. He studied Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, and Archaeology at Cambridge University, followed by a PhD at the University of East Anglia. He was the interpretation lead on the £27m restoration of Norwich Castle Keep, principally funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which opened this summer.

He has served on a number of committees including the Treasure Valuation Committee and Bury St Edmunds Cathedral’s Fabric Advisory Committee, both for ten years. He is currently a trustee of the Great Hospital in Norwich, founded in 1249, which provides independent living for the over 60s. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and an Honorary Research Fellow at the UEA.

Mark Hallett and Tim Pestell have been reappointed for a second term of four years which commenced on 13 August 2025.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Members of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest board are not remunerated. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578498/governance_code_on_public_appointments_16_12_2016.pdf). The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.

Mark Hallett and Tim Pestell have declared no such political activity.

Notes to Editors

DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations) including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website (https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles).