New leadership for University Museums and Collections

The University of Reading has announced the appointment of Guy Baxter as the new Director of Museums and Collections, effective from 26 October 2026.

Museums and Collections is the University of Reading’s museums service, which includes three major museums: The Museum of English Rural Life, the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, and the Cole Museum of Zoology. It also includes other archive, library, printing and herbarium collections of international importance. 

Baxter succeeds Kate Arnold-Forster, who retires this autumn after a distinguished career, including a 26-year association with the University. After arriving in Reading in 2000 in a role to support the University's museums, Arnold-Forster assumed responsibility for The Museum of English Rural Life in 2003 and then became Director of the University’s Museums and Special Collections in 2008. Her work transformed external investment in the University’s museums and collections; she led the successful increase of major Research England funding and the creation of Museums Partnership Reading (The MERL and Reading Museum), Reading’s largest National Portfolio Organisation funded by Arts Council England. Arnold-Forster enabled a step change in the public and academic engagement of university museums both in Reading and nationally through her co-leadership of the University Museums Group. For her contributions to university museums across the UK, Arnold-Forster received an MBE in 2015.

Baxter’s appointment also follows the retirement of Isabel Hughes, Associate Director and Head of Curatorial and Public Engagement of the University’s Museums and Collections. Hughes joined the University in 2011 to lead the bid and subsequent delivery of ‘Our Country Lives’, a multi-million-pound project to redevelop The Museum of English Rural Life between 2014 and 2016. Hughes’ stewardship reimagined the museum’s galleries, collections, and public programmes, opening the museum’s doors to a new generation of visitors in person and online. 

'Doorways for discovery'

An archivist by profession, Baxter has been a leading museum practitioner and has been associated with the University for almost 30 years. After initially coming to Reading in 1997 to survey The MERL’s photography collections, Baxter worked for 9 years at the V&A in design archives and in theatre and performance collections. He returned to Reading in 2008 as Head of Archive Services. His years of leadership place him in excellent stead to continue the work to which he has made so many major contributions whilst leading the museums forward to meet new challenges. 

On his appointment, Guy Baxter said: "I'm extremely excited to step into this post, to lead such a talented team, and build on the immense legacy left by Kate and Isabel.

"In the past 25 years we have transformed our museums and collections through our interdisciplinary collaborations across museums, libraries, archives, and university scholarship.

“As we look to the future, we will continue to explore how we can use the University’s museums and collections to meet the challenges of the world today. We will deepen our commitments to open and inclusive practice, evolve our support of the University and our partners across the community, and continue to open new doorways for discovery, relaxation, and creativity for our many audiences. 

"I believe museums and collections can genuinely change lives, and that we should provide opportunities for learning, creativity and enjoyment to as many people as possible. I’m excited for everything we can achieve in the years to come.” 

Speaking on her retirement, Kate Arnold-Forster said: “It’s been an immense privilege to lead the University’s Museums and Collections.  

“I feel both fortunate and proud to have been able to contribute to realising the potential of Reading’s exceptional museums and collections, alongside my wonderful colleagues; creating museums and collections that play a powerful role in our local communities, within the University, and even nationally through our ambitious approach to audiences and digital content.” 

• For media enquiries contact Museums and Collections’ Marketing Manager, Joe Vaughan, at joe.vaughan@reading.ac.uk, or the University of Reading’s Press Office at pressoffice@reading.ac.uk or 0118 378 5757.