Max May

Max joined Creative Lives as Chief Executive in April 2026.

A cultural leader from the North of England, Max specialises in partnership working and is passionate about how creativity makes everyday life better for us all.

He was previously Chief Officer of HEY Creative, the ACE/DCMS Cultural Compact for Hull and East Yorkshire, where he launched the UK’s first Creative Charter and authored the region’s arts, culture and heritage devolution manifesto.

At the same time, Max served as Strategic Director at North Yorkshire Together, a partnership bringing together almost 100 arts, sports and youth organisations, and was previously CEO of Arts Council England NPO Rural Arts. At Rural Arts, he launched ground-breaking new programmes, led a capital redevelopment and rebrand, achieved national press coverage, and doubled the organisation’s turnover – all against the background of a global pandemic.

Max's background is within combined and participatory arts, in particular the intersection between culture and communities, including posts as General Manager of Access All Areas, and young people’s touring theatre company Theatre Centre.

He has served on steering groups for Arts Council England, the National Literacy Trust and is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and the Royal Society of Arts. He has an MA from the University of Glasgow, an MBA from York Business School, and is a graduate of Clore and Stonewall leadership programmes.

You can contact Max at [email protected]