The Barbican Centre Board is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 28 January 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the Board's terms of reference and a discussion on the Barbican's budget for the upcoming financial year.

Annual Review of Terms of Reference

The Board will consider an annual review of its own Terms of Reference. This review is a standard procedure, with the Court of Common Council re-appointing committees annually. The current Terms of Reference, which outline the Board's responsibilities for the strategic direction, management, operation, and maintenance of the Barbican Centre, are set out in Appendix A of the report pack. The Board previously considered this matter on 22 October 2025, agreeing that any proposed amendments should be submitted to the Town Clerk for discussion at the January 2026 meeting. As no specific matters for consideration were put forward, the report recommends agreeing to submit the current Terms of Reference for approval to the Policy & Resources Committee and the Court of Common Council in April 2026.

Barbican Budget 2026/27

A significant item on the agenda is the Barbican Budget for 2026/27. This report, jointly prepared by the Chamberlain and the Interim CEO of the Barbican Centre, will be presented for decision. The details of the proposed budget are contained within the non-public section of the report pack.

CEO Report

The Board will receive a report from David Farnsworth, the Interim CEO of the Barbican Centre, for information. This report provides an overview of activity across the Centre's strategic framework and shared goals for the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. It highlights progress in areas such as audience experience, retail performance, and cultural programming. The report notes that the Calm First, Call In, Call Out model has been implemented to manage customer interactions, and the retail shop is performing ahead of budget, with a successful Black Friday campaign boosting sales. The Barbican Book project, aiming to update a bestselling guide to the Centre, is also progressing, with a target publication date of October 2026.

In terms of cultural programming, the report details a successful Winter/Festive campaign that attracted new members and significant income. The Music programme has seen a shift towards wider representation and contemporary relevance, with premieres of new operas and a successful Darbar Festival. The EFG London Jazz Festival at the Barbican focused on talent development, and a concert series exploring environmental themes was well-received. The Theatre programme featured new European directors and continued its residency with the RSC. The report also outlines extensive work with schools and young people through workshops and holiday camps, as well as public programmes targeting underserved audiences, including the Voiced: Festival for Endangered Languages, the Black British Book Festival, and the Dirty Weekend takeover.

The Cinema programme highlights include sold-out screenings and a successful Family Film Week. The Prestige season has also seen increased audiences, with strong revenue performance. ScreenTalks have featured notable guests, and the Centre has hosted various film festivals in partnership with organisations such as the London Palestine Film Festival and the London International Animation Festival.

Barbican Immersive has announced a new exhibition, In Other Worlds, by Liam Young, and the inaugural Shift Salon conference brought together international cultural leaders. The Asian Comics: Evolution of an Artform exhibition has been a success, attracting over 120,500 visitors and receiving positive media attention. Visual Arts programming includes artist talks and exhibitions by Julia Phillips, Lynda Benglis, and Beatriz González.

The report also covers the Build an Enterprising Business objective, detailing strong performance in Business Events, with significant enquiries and conversions. Commercial Development highlights include a successful collaboration between Benugo, Darbar, and Jikoni restaurant, and the renewal of Corporate Memberships from Slaughter and May, Bolt Burdon Kemp, and AIG. Philanthropic support has also seen a record level of engagement.

Under the Revitalise Our Place objective, Barbican Renewal is progressing, with a delivery programme for phase 1 approved, consolidating major works into a twelve-month period between June 2028 and June 2029. The Centre is also addressing its classification as a Higher Risk Building and has reported on its Health and Safety status. The Q3 Sustainability report indicates increased activity towards net-zero targets, with initiatives focused on waste management and LED lighting.

Finally, the Invest in Our People and Culture section notes that the People, Culture & Inclusion Committee received a progress report on the EDI Strategy, highlighting considerable progress and a decrease in EDI risk levels.

Sub-Committees

The Board will receive the draft public minutes and non-public summaries from recent meetings of its sub-committees. These include the Finance and Risk Committee, which met on 8 December 2025, and the People, Culture & Inclusion Committee, which held an inquorate meeting on 10 December 2025.

Previous Board Minutes

The public minutes and non-public summaries of the Board's previous meetings held on 22 October 2025 and 24 November 2025 are also scheduled for noting.