John Tusa
Encyclopedia
Sir John Tusa is a British
arts administrator, and radio and television journalist. From 1980 to 1986 he was a main presenter of BBC 2's Newsnight
programme. From 1995 until 2007 he was managing director of the City of London
's Barbican Arts Centre. From 1986 to 1993 he was managing director of the BBC World Service
.
in March 1936, Tusa moved to England with his family in 1939. His father, also John Tusa (Jan Tůša), was managing director of British Bata Shoes
, established by the Czech shoe company, which, following its international pattern, also created a pioneering work-living community around its factory
in East Tilbury
, Essex. Two days before the German occupation of Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939, Tusa senior flew out of Czechoslovakia on a Bata company plane, via Poland
, Yugoslavia
and France
. He then became general manager of the Bata factory and its associated village in East Tilbury
, living in the nearby village of Horndon-on-the-Hill
where his son grew up.
Tusa junior was educated at St Faith's School
, Cambridge, Gresham's School
, Holt
, and Trinity College
, Cambridge
, where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History.
as a trainee. After presenting the BBC's 24 Hours
and later Newsnight
(from its inception in 1979), he became managing director of the BBC World Service
from 1986 to 1993. Tusa was President of Wolfson College
from January to October 1993. He was then a newsreader on BBC's One O'Clock News for two years during the mid-1990s. He anchored the BBC's coverage of the Hong Kong handover on June 30, 1997. From 1995 until 2007 he was managing director of the Barbican Arts Centre in the City of London
. Since 1998 he has been chairman of the board of the Wigmore Hall
in London and was appointed chairman of the University of the Arts London
in 2007. He was announced as having accepted the position of chairman with the Victoria and Albert Museum
on 18 June 2007, but stepped down from the post a month later, recognising a conflict of interest with his position at the University of the Arts London.
Tusa continues to write and broadcast widely. Among his written output, he wrote two books jointly with his historian wife Ann Tusa: The Nuremberg Trial (1983) and The Berlin Blockade (1988). His writings on the arts include Art Matters, On Creativity, and The Janus Aspect: Artists in the C20.
John Tusa's Engaged with the Arts: Writings from the Frontline was published in 2007. It explores ways that the arts can be encouraged within a cultural and political climate in which funding is constantly under threat.
After his retirement from his BBC World Service post, John Tusa has been critical of some BBC policies. He deprecated the former director general John Birt's focus and management style and has been vociferous about subsequent decisions to pare down World Service activities in Europe, including the Czech section.
In January 2009 Tusa became Chair of the Clore Leadership Programme
.
From October 2009 until the end of the year John Tusa presented a 91 part series on BBC Radio 4
. Day By Day used original archive news material to track events on a daily basis from 1989, including the fall of the Berlin Wall
.
In February 2010 he became Honorary Chairman of theartsdesk.com.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
arts administrator, and radio and television journalist. From 1980 to 1986 he was a main presenter of BBC 2's Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
programme. From 1995 until 2007 he was managing director of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
's Barbican Arts Centre. From 1986 to 1993 he was managing director of the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
.
Early life
Born in CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in March 1936, Tusa moved to England with his family in 1939. His father, also John Tusa (Jan Tůša), was managing director of British Bata Shoes
Bata Shoes
Bata Shoes is a large, family owned shoe company based in Bermuda but currently headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, operating 3 business units worldwide – Bata Metro Markets, Bata Emerging Markets and Bata Branded Business. It has a retail presence in over 50 countries and production...
, established by the Czech shoe company, which, following its international pattern, also created a pioneering work-living community around its factory
Bata shoe factory (East Tilbury)
The Bata shoe factory in East Tilbury is what remains of an industrial estate in Essex which produced shoes for over 70 years. Founded in 1932 by Tomáš Baťa, the factory was "one of the most important planned landscapes in the East of England" in the 20th Century...
in East Tilbury
East Tilbury
East Tilbury is a village in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock.-History:In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland...
, Essex. Two days before the German occupation of Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939, Tusa senior flew out of Czechoslovakia on a Bata company plane, via Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He then became general manager of the Bata factory and its associated village in East Tilbury
East Tilbury
East Tilbury is a village in the unitary authority of Thurrock borough, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock.-History:In Saxon times, the location on which the church now stands was surrounded by tidal marshland...
, living in the nearby village of Horndon-on-the-Hill
Horndon-on-the-Hill
Horndon-on-the-Hill is a village and Church of England parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock. It is about a mile northwest of Stanford le Hope and about two miles northeast of Orsett - from 1894, it was part of the Orsett Rural District....
where his son grew up.
Tusa junior was educated at St Faith's School
St Faith's School
St Faith's School is an independent preparatory day school on Trumpington Road, Cambridge, England, for boys and girls aged four to thirteen. The present headmaster is Nigel Helliwell, and the school has in excess of five hundred children...
, Cambridge, Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
, and Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where he gained a First Class Honours Degree in History.
Career
In 1960, he joined the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a trainee. After presenting the BBC's 24 Hours
24 Hours (TV series)
Twenty-Four Hours is a long-running, late evening, daily news magazine programme that aired on BBC 1. It focused on analysis and criticism of current affairs and featured in-depth short documentary films that set the style for current affairs magazine programmes. Twenty-Four Hours launched in 1965...
and later Newsnight
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
(from its inception in 1979), he became managing director of the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
from 1986 to 1993. Tusa was President of Wolfson College
Wolfson College, Cambridge
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Wolfson is one of a small number of Cambridge colleges which admit only students over the age of 21. The majority of students at the college are postgraduates, with around 15% studying undergraduate...
from January to October 1993. He was then a newsreader on BBC's One O'Clock News for two years during the mid-1990s. He anchored the BBC's coverage of the Hong Kong handover on June 30, 1997. From 1995 until 2007 he was managing director of the Barbican Arts Centre in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. Since 1998 he has been chairman of the board of the Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
in London and was appointed chairman of the University of the Arts London
University of the Arts London
The University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a collegiate university comprising six internationally recognised art, design, fashion and media colleges in London, England...
in 2007. He was announced as having accepted the position of chairman with the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
on 18 June 2007, but stepped down from the post a month later, recognising a conflict of interest with his position at the University of the Arts London.
Tusa continues to write and broadcast widely. Among his written output, he wrote two books jointly with his historian wife Ann Tusa: The Nuremberg Trial (1983) and The Berlin Blockade (1988). His writings on the arts include Art Matters, On Creativity, and The Janus Aspect: Artists in the C20.
John Tusa's Engaged with the Arts: Writings from the Frontline was published in 2007. It explores ways that the arts can be encouraged within a cultural and political climate in which funding is constantly under threat.
After his retirement from his BBC World Service post, John Tusa has been critical of some BBC policies. He deprecated the former director general John Birt's focus and management style and has been vociferous about subsequent decisions to pare down World Service activities in Europe, including the Czech section.
In January 2009 Tusa became Chair of the Clore Leadership Programme
Clore leadership programme
The Clore Leadership Programme provides professional training and personal development for current and future leaders in the cultural sector. It was founded by the Clore Duffield Foundation in 2002 in response to its own research into the state of leadership in the cultural sector.-The...
.
From October 2009 until the end of the year John Tusa presented a 91 part series on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. Day By Day used original archive news material to track events on a daily basis from 1989, including the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
.
In February 2010 he became Honorary Chairman of theartsdesk.com.