A New Direction's CEO Steve Moffitt to receive MBE for services to arts and culture 

17 January 2024

The A New Direction Board of Trustees would like to offer our congratulations to our Chief Executive Steve Moffitt who has been awarded an MBE for services to arts and culture in the 2024 New Year’s Honours list.

Steve set up A New Direction in 2008 and has led the organisation for the last 15 years moving from being the London Creative Partnerships delivery agency to the London Children and Young Peoples Sector Support Organisation and now an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

During this period thousands of children and young people have participated in our projects and employment programmes. We have been part of and have initiated so many creative and cultural opportunities across the capital for and with the young people of the city, including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the development of the London Curriculum, the Young Poet Laureate for London programme, the I AM Festival, the Good Growth Hub in the Olympic Park, the Steve McQueen Year 3 project and so much more. I am very pleased and proud that Steve’s contribution to London's arts and cultural offer has been recognised.

“It is a great honour to receive this award. I am lucky to work in a job that I love, and to work with a fantastic team of committed individuals who make great things happen. I am pleased that the work of A New Direction has been acknowledged and I will continue to advocate and champion the right for young people to experience an arts rich, creative, and cultural education and to achieve employment in the creative and cultural sector. I will continue to argue for more resources, better provision and to address the inequalities that we all know exist in the creative and cultural sector. There is much to be done and this award incentivises me to continue to push for better access, better representation, and more opportunities for young people to experience the power of creativity and culture”. - Steve Moffitt

With a career dedicated to the third sector and a passion for cultural and creative education this award also recognises Steve’s voluntary work as Chair of People United and the Arts and Media School Islington Trust, as well as advisory roles for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and individual mentoring and support to emerging Cultural Education leaders.

- Arfa Butt, Chair, A New Direction