Lucy Byatt was trained as an artist and is as committed to the development of artist initiated or artist led organisations as she is to ensuring that cultural organisations answer the needs of the communities within which they are situated.

She started in post as Director of Hospitalfield in September 2012. Prior to this she was Head of National Programmes at the Contemporary Art Society, London (2008-2012). Director of Spike Island, Bristol (2002-2008) where she devised and delivered the £2.25m capital development which was completed and opened to the public in 2006. Core to the vision was the development of the Associate Programme for artists that combined provision of workspace and continued learning and networks that enabled artists to evolve their practices.

Between 1996 and 2002 she developed many significant artist’s commissions during her time as director of two independent public art commissioning organisations in Glasgow; Visual Art Projects and The Centre. She led the artist commissioning for the public spaces programme for the year of Architecture and Design 1999 working in collaboration with many community housing associations and architects practices.