Brendan Barns on Culture, Collaboration and the Future of the City

When most people think of the City of London, the images that come to mind are of suits, skyscrapers, and the rapid click of trading floors. However, behind the corporate façade of the Square Mile lies a quieter, richer story, one told through centuries of architecture, underground rivers, hidden museums, and voices like that of Brendan Barns. As the new Chair of the City of London’s Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, Brendan is tasked with bringing that story to life and ensuring culture is not just an accessory to the City’s identity, but part of its core narrative.

We sat down with Brendan to explore his ambitions, how his background in business intersects with his cultural role, and why culture in the City is both patchwork quilt and underground river – beautiful, flowing, and in need of stitching together.

A City Within a City

Brendan grew up in Dorchester, but it was a childhood visit to London that sparked something lasting. “I must have been about ten or eleven,” he said, “and I remember, for the first time, grasping the idea that the City of London was actually a place in its own right. A city within a city.”

That moment stayed with him. “Even people who live in London don’t always realise that,” he said. “But once you do, you see things differently. There’s history on every corner here. Culture runs through the City like those underground rivers beneath our feet. You may not always see them, but they’re always there.”

He’s long loved history, “it’s my favourite subject”, and being part of the City allows him to live that passion daily.

A Role Full of Challenge and Purpose

Asked what makes his role as Chair of Culture, Heritage and Libraries so meaningful, Brendan didn’t hesitate.

“There are huge challenges and huge opportunities when it comes to culture in the City,” he said. “If you ask most people what they think of when they think of the City of London, they’ll say finance, professional services, big business. And of course, that’s true. We’re the engine house of the UK economy.”

However, he wants to shift that narrative.

“What I’d like to inspire is that people, almost in the same sentence, say, ‘and it’s full of culture.’ Because it really is. We’ve got immense riches here – historical, artistic, literary. They’re just not as well known as they should be.”

That’s where his committee comes in. “Our role is to raise the profile of that culture. To connect people to it. And to make sure it isn’t forgotten amid the glass and steel.”

The committee Brendan chairs, the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, is at the heart of shaping cultural thinking in the Square Mile. It plays a crucial role in curating how the City’s rich past and diverse present are both preserved and made accessible. Under his leadership, the committee is now spearheading the development of the City’s Cultural Strategy for 2026. This is a wide-ranging plan that seeks not just to support headline institutions like the London Museum and the Barbican, but also to celebrate the City’s smaller, lesser-known cultural threads.

“The cultural strategy is our opportunity to rethink how we tell the City’s story,” Brendan explained. “It’s being shaped with input from residents, businesses, charities, and artists. We want it to feel co-created, not bureaucratic.”

Due for launch early next year, the strategy promises to provide not just a roadmap for the City’s cultural future but a framework for collaboration across its many cultural players, from heritage bodies to grassroots creatives, all coming together by shared stories and civic pride.

From Business to the Arts

Given Brendan’s commercial background, it might seem surprising to find him at the helm of the City’s cultural agenda. However, for him, the transition makes complete sense.

“I think they fit together quite naturally, really,” he said. “Part of this is a sort of communication piece and that culture is not something you necessarily have to build.”

That doesn’t mean new initiatives aren’t welcome. “I’m not saying you don’t want any new cultural assets, because they’re always interesting – thinking about new ways of engaging with the people that come to the City.”

He’s acutely aware of the City’s layered population. “There are people that live here, not many, but they live here because they love it. We’ve got people that work here. It’s their place of work. That’s partly driven by the assets that we have here. People come to the City because of things to do. In some ways, you could say, there’s too much to do. It can almost be overwhelming.”

It’s here that Brendan sees his business experience adding real value. “My business background is useful in the sense that I think we can be better at partnering with business. We’re good at it in all kinds of ways when it comes to driving.”

However, he added, “when it comes to developing partnerships on the cultural side, we did well in some places. Sculpture in the City is a great example, we did really, really well. I want to see that sort of thing spread out across more of the City, because actually it’s business and their passion for what we do, and of course their resources, which are going to help us actually raise the profile.”

A Patchwork Quilt in Need of Thread

In a previous speech, Brendan described the City’s cultural life as “a patchwork quilt.” We asked him which parts needed stitching.

“I think they all need stitching together, actually,” he said. “Because it’s a very good way of thinking about the City. There are these patches that sit culturally, but actually what we perhaps struggle to do is knit them all together. And that’s the whole point of the cultural strategy.”

It’s no small task. “That’s actually quite difficult to do,” he added, “because often people say, ‘What is culture? How do you define culture?’ And if you ask a hundred different people, you get a hundred different answers. They’d all sort of be right, you know? So it means different things to different people.”

Brendan’s own take is clear:

“For me, it’s a peculiarly human thing – it’s our human endeavours that make culture what it is. And actually, going to cultural experiences are things that move us in some way. They provoke us. They make us sad. They make us happy. They do all kinds of things. But that is the whole purpose of culture.”

And the City, he said, “is absolutely full of it. I want to be able to tell those stories better.”

That’s why the new cultural strategy, due in 2026, is so important. “We do need this quilt to be knitted together in size,” he said, “and that’s the whole point, to try and come up with a way of doing that.”

However, it’s not just about connecting cultural institutions but also about connecting people. “When we launch it,” he said, “I don’t want anybody saying, ‘That’s ridiculous,’ or, ‘What’s the Corporation doing now?’ This is something I firmly believe we can all agree on.”

“People live here because they love it. People work here – I hope they love it too. And people visit because they want to discover the stories. So this is something I think that unites us. Culture is something that brings us together as humans. And I hope the cultural strategy will basically do the same thing.”

A City of Many Layers

Brendan sees the City of London not just as a financial hub, but as a place with deep cultural roots and complex identities. “The City, like London as a whole, is like an onion,” he said. “But I think we’ve got even more layers.”

From churches and livery companies to Roman remains hidden beneath office blocks, he believes the City holds stories most people never hear. “I could talk all day about the churches, or the Roman assets we have in the City that most people don’t know about.” The real challenge, he said, “is to tell those stories to the people that I think want to know more about them.”

That’s where the City’s forthcoming cultural strategy comes in, and Brendan is determined it won’t be just another document. “We are consulting residents. We are consulting business. A lot of work is going into making sure that everybody involved in culture has a say in this,” he said. “We want everyone to feel part of the process, that co-creation feeling.”

It’s a word he returns to. “When we launch it early next year, I want everybody to be celebrating, not going, ‘Oh God, here we go again.’ Culture unites us. It moves us in different ways.”

And that includes a wide spectrum of expression. “Culture can be a whole range of different things,” he said. “Architecture, film, music, art, sculpture, all these things. Why would we exclude any of it?”

For Brendan, it’s simple: the stories are already here.

“What the City needs now is to be better storytellers.”

Conducting a Community

As we talked through the City’s better-known cultural institutions, the Barbican, St Paul’s, the London Museum, I mentioned the smaller players: the churches, niche collections like the Museum of Methodism, and of course, independent platforms like ours. “We’ve got all these incredible places doing creative work,” I said, “but how do we make sure they don’t get overlooked?”

Brendan nodded, clearly already thinking ahead. “I’ve met some organisations – I’ve only been in the role a short time – but already I’ve seen people doing extraordinary things. What I think would help them is a sense of community. That’s what we need to build.”

He gave an example: “A couple of weeks ago, I met with Music in Churches, a wonderful festival that runs for two weeks of the year. They do these incredible things, but not necessarily hand in hand with the Corporation. And that’s what I want to change.”

It’s not about money, he clarified. “I’m not saying the committee has huge amounts of cash I can just hand out. But what we do have is the ability to convene, to collaborate, to create a sense of belonging.”

He lit up when talking about the possibilities. “You’ve got Music in Churches doing amazing concerts. You’ve got City Music Foundation, we’ve worked with them on a whole series in the livery halls. I love those concerts. World-class musicians in these extraordinary venues – what’s not to like?”

His goal is to be a kind of facilitator. “I like to think of myself as a sort of impresario or conductor,” he said, smiling, “trying to help people feel they’re part of something bigger.”

It was at this point that I referred to the “Museum of London,” and Brendan couldn’t let it slide. “It’s the London Museum now,” he corrected gently, with a grin. “We’ve all got to get used to that.” I laughed. However, it made the point: even the institutions are evolving. And part of Brendan’s job is to make sure everyone feels included in that evolution.

Creativity and Commerce

The idea of business and culture working side by side in the Square Mile isn’t new, but Brendan wants that relationship to start earlier and run deeper. “Life actually is a balance, isn’t it?” he said. “And in terms of culture, you don’t have a bottomless pit of money. But we do have some.”

He’s calling for culture to play a more proactive role in planning. “At the moment, culture tends to be involved a bit later than it should be,” he said. “But earlier influence gives us the opportunity to do better matchmaking – between people who want to do cultural things in the City and developments that are coming up.”

He praised the openness of Tom Sleigh, Chair of Planning and Transportation and former Chair of the Barbican. “He’s very open to this,” Brendan said.

The goal is to bring culture closer to where people are. “Viewing platforms are great,” he said, “but maybe it’s time to think about the ground floor.” He wants to see more activity in public spaces — not just exhibitions, but music and live performance. “The number one thing people want more of in the City is live music,” he noted. “Sculpture in the City is a great example – but I’d like to see more of that energy outdoors.”

Brendan described it as a partnership-driven approach. “We don’t have a bottomless pit of money, but we can join people up. That’s the strategic way.”

He gave the example of Broadworks, just off Broad Street, a space for makers that residents had called for in consultations. “It’s fabulous,” he said. “And we want to share that story more. It’s under-publicised. That’s our challenge, and our opportunity.”

Defining Success: From KPIs to Mindset Shifts

Looking ahead to the 2026 Cultural Strategy, I asked Brendan what success would look like in practice. “At one level, it’s raising the profile and status of culture,” he said. “I want people to think of the City not just as a place of business, but as a place of rich culture. So the success of the strategy will be: is that happening?”

He acknowledged the usual measures, “I’m sure there’ll be all kinds of data points and KPIs” but said the real test lies in a shift in mindset. “It’s also around the partnership thing,” he added.

Leadership, he believes, plays a key role. “Anita Roddick once said if you ask your audience what they want, they probably wouldn’t have come up with the Body Shop,” he said with a smile. “Same with Henry Ford, if he’d asked people what they wanted, they’d have said faster horses.”

“So yes, we consult but we also need to lead. In terms of what we do, and how we do it.”

He’s also clear that the strategy should remain flexible. “It’s not a fixed point. We can experiment. We can change.”

For Brendan, the City’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are vital to that process. “We can test things with the BIDs and see what works,” he said. “Some of them already do amazing stuff. I’m a big fan of Fleet Street Quarter, really engaging events, strong footfall, everything the City wants to see.”

Much of the work is already happening.

“What I want to do is reveal it. And amplify it.”

The Heart of It: Storytelling

As the conversation turned to the pillars of the Cultural Strategy, partnerships, heritage, inclusion, and storytelling, I asked Brendan which area he felt most personally connected to.

“Well, I’m a big fan of storytelling,” he said. “My professional business is as an event organiser. So if you want to do great events, what you do is tell great stories. That’s how you really engage people.”

In his view, the City is overflowing with material. “The challenge we’ve got is that there are so many stories. We’ve got thousands of years of them. So how do you tell those effectively?”

For Brendan, storytelling is the framework that connects everything else. “It’s the umbrella that’s above all the other things,” he explained.

However, crucially, he doesn’t believe the City Corporation should try to tell every story itself. “The heart of that, for me, is partnerships with people who are great storytellers. It’s not necessarily thinking that the Corporation can tell all these stories on its own but it’s about opening doors, collaborating, bringing people in who already have audiences.”

One recent encounter illustrated the point. “I met with the company behind ‘Budget Day Out’ recently, it’s an Instagram thing. They promote free or cheap things to do, and actually, the City is full of those. I mean, for me, if you’ve not discovered St Dunstan-in-the-East – what a joy.”

Brendan’s vision is clear: to make storytelling central, not only to attract new audiences but to deepen the City’s relationship with those already here. “That’s what will bring it all together,” he said. “That’s what will make the culture feel lived.”

Uncovering the Hidden City

The City of London may be ancient, but Brendan Barns is clear: its cultural story is far from over. In fact, many of its greatest assets remain surprisingly unknown.

“The Guildhall Art Gallery is really fabulous,” he said. “But if you ask people, even those into art, they’ll mention Tate Britain or Tate Modern… and they’ve never even heard of it. That’s something I want to change.”

For him, it’s not about competition, it’s about connection. “We’ve got exhibitions on right now that are brilliant and free. But would anybody know? I’m very open to talking to people and saying, ‘Can you help us?’”

Downstairs at Guildhall, visitors can stumble upon a Roman amphitheatre, often without knowing it’s there. “It’s great when they discover it. It’s a surprise.” He also highlights the Heritage Gallery nearby. “We had Shakespeare’s signature, one of only six. Before that, the William Charter from 1067. What other organisation has looked after something for nearly a thousand years?”

Brendan’s passion extends across the Square Mile. “I love the City Wall at Vine Street as it’s like a mini London Museum, built around Roman remains found during development,” he said. “And on Gracechurch Street, they’ve just uncovered parts of the Roman basilica. Once it’s ready, there’ll be a glass walkway so people can look straight down into the past.”

For Brendan, this is what makes the City’s culture so alive. “The amphitheatre was only discovered in the 1980s. That’s extraordinary. A city like this can still tell new stories.”

And at the centre of it all is what he sees as his core purpose. “I keep coming back to storytelling,” he said. “If we don’t tell people these things, how will they ever know? And if they don’t know, how can they feel part of it?”

Access, Opportunity and Giving Back

Inclusion and access aren’t just policy buzzwords for Brendan but are rooted in his personal and professional life. When I asked about his support for scholarships, particularly at the Guildhall School, his answer was thoughtful and sincere.

“I was educated at the LSE,” he said. “I was lucky as I got a grant, it didn’t cost me anything. But I’ve been reasonably successful, and I feel I owe it to the LSE and other institutions to help fund people who may not have the same opportunities.”

Through the London Business Forum, the organisation he founded, Brendan supports the London Business Forum Scholarship at LSE, providing full tuition and a living allowance to students who are both academically exceptional and financially in need. “That, for me, is the heart of giving back and leaving some sort of legacy,” he explained.

His commitment extends to the arts. At the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, he helps students pursue music education – an area he feels should never be reserved for the privileged few. “I’m not a professional musician, though I played lots of instruments when I was young – none of them well!” he joked. “But I think if we don’t fund the study of music from an early age, the long-term consequences are really damaging.”

Music, he said, isn’t just about performance. “It helps your brain develop. It sparks creativity and curiosity. So when I see what students are doing at Guildhall, I love it. I want to play some small part in helping people who wouldn’t be able to do it otherwise.”

It’s a theme that runs through his work: empowerment through opportunity. “That’s the attitude I take in pretty much everything I’m involved in. I’m always thinking: what can we do? Practically. How do we connect? How do we help people achieve what they want to do?”

Bringing Stories to Life

As the conversation turned to modern storytelling, I explained EyeOnLondon’s plans to expand into short-form video and immersive formats. Brendan Barns responded with a thoughtful, grounded view.

“I think it is important,” he said. “But it brings me back to partnering. That kind of thing, the City can’t really do on its own as we don’t have the expertise.”

He lit up when he spoke about the Roman amphitheatre beneath Guildhall Yard.

“It’s a wonderful, inspiring place. When you walk in there, there’s a certain kind of atmosphere,” he said. “Now imagine using virtual reality to bring it alive, you’re standing there, and suddenly you’re in the middle of a gladiatorial combat, the crowd around you, the sounds, the tension – it could really work. But we’d need partners to make that happen.”

While enthusiastic about the possibilities, he was quick to strike a balance.

“I’m a big fan of reality. I’m a big fan of in person. I’m a big fan of in person storytelling. So, you know, the caution is that, yes, I think VR’s very clever and amazing, but reality is really good. It’s what you’re about. Anybody who’s an artist knows this, we’re all trying to find our way of how to think about telling the story in a modern way. I’m going to give you an example. It’s in the delivery, isn’t it? How do you reach the audience?”

He recalled a visit to Keats House in Hampstead that brought that idea to life.

“We had someone playing the original curator from 1925. His name was Fred…he was brilliant. Dressed immaculately, always in character. You’d ask him a question and he’d respond as if it were the 1920s. After a while, you just went with it. It was full of information, but fun too. And it worked. That’s what I want to see more of.”

Brendan finished with a simple but lasting point.

“I keep coming back to storytelling. That’s how you connect people. That’s how you bring the City to life.”

Why Local Still Matters and How Collaboration Can Help

Toward the end of our conversation, I put a question to Brendan that matters deeply to platforms like ours: with local news outlets shrinking and national media often missing the detail, how important is it to have independent platforms like EyeOnLondon telling the City’s stories?

“Obviously, I would say it’s really important,” he said with a smile. “I’m here with you.” Then he continued, more seriously: “Whatever it is, storytelling is at the heart of it, but being really focused and being able to develop stories…”

For Brendan, this isn’t just about neighbourhood newsletters. “When we say local, when we think about the City, okay, we’ve only got 8,500 residents. But we’ve got 670,000 people that come in on a peak day during the week. They spend their working life here. They probably feel very much part of the community of the City.”

That shared sense of place, he believes, mustn’t be lost.

“We mustn’t lose local.”

However, the solution, he added, isn’t competition – it’s collaboration. “Could the Corporation be helping in some way? Can we do more collaboration, helping each other? Again, it’s not necessarily competitive. No, no, no. It’s collaborating.”

Stitching Stories Across Time

Brendan Barns speaks with both conviction and warmth – an unusual but vital combination in the world of civic leadership. His vision for culture in the City of London is not a top-down imposition but a gradual unveiling of something that’s already there, waiting to be rediscovered.

In his words, culture runs like underground rivers beneath our feet, often unseen, but always present. Through his committee’s work, he hopes to make those currents visible. To stitch together the patches. To remind us that even in the financial heart of the capital, it’s not all numbers and margins. There are stories here. Old ones. New ones. And ones still being written.

As we finished the interview, it was hard not to feel hopeful. The City may be best known for money. However, with leaders like Brendan Barns at the helm, its cultural capital is finally getting the investment it deserves.

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