Sir John Tusa

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Biographical Information

"John Tusa was born in Czechoslovakia and came to this country with his family in 1939. He was educated at St Faith's School, Cambridge, Gresham's School, Holt and Trinity College, Cambridge where he took a First in History. He did his National Service as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery in Germany and joined the BBC as a General Trainee in 1960. John worked in all parts of the BBC both as a producer and increasingly as a radio and TV presenter. From 1979 to 1986 he was a main presenter of BBC 2's Newsnight, when he won awards from both the Royal Television Society and BAFTA.

"From 1986 to 1992 he was Managing Director of BBC World Service, during which the foundations of BBC World Service Television were laid. After a very short spell as President of Wolfson College, Cambridge in 1993, he became Managing Director of the Barbican Centre in 1995 where he was until August 2007. He is a regular Broadcaster, conducting 55 extended interviews with living artists for BBC Radio 3, and writing and presenting BBC Radio 4's Daily Education of 1968 - Day By Day. He has written books on broadcasting, arts policy, arts management and the nature of creativity. His books on arts leadership and management include, Art Matters, Engaged with the Arts, and On Creativity. He also assisted Ann Tusa in her books on the Nuremberg Trial and the Berlin Blockade.

"John is a Vice Chairman of the British Museum, a Trustee of The Turquoise Mountain Trust Foundation and Chairman of the Court of Governors for the University of the Arts, London. In 2009 he became Chair of the Clore Leadership Programme."

• Former Managing Director, Barbican Arts Centre, London, England
• Special Advisor, Public Radio International
• Trustee, Journalism Foundation
• Patron, Mayor's Music Fund