Dame Hilary Boulding

As the twenty-eighth President of Trinity College I oversee the effective operation and strategic development of Trinity. I support the college’s Governing Body and Fellows and facilitate key debates and decisions about how the college fulfils its educational mission and upholds its values. I represent the college and its interests within the wider University, and to the external world (including government, alumni, potential donors and the wider community). I also encourage and actively support our students to make the most of their time in Oxford, whether in their academic work or wider interests and activities.

All the heads of colleges undertake roles within the wider University. I’m currently involved in planning for a newly built concert hall and rehearsal spaces within a brand new centre for the Humanities.

Before joining Trinity in 2017 my work was entirely centred in the arts. I was Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, a vibrant training ground for the creative industries, and oversaw the construction of extensive new rehearsal and performance facilities. For eight years I was Director of Music for Arts Council England, responsible for its strategy for music. And I spent 20 years as a producer, director and commissioning editor in arts broadcasting for the BBC. I was appointed DBE in The Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June 2017 for services to education and the arts.

I grew up in the Northeast of England and attended a state school in Newcastle; I went on to read Music at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, and am passionate about Trinity’s outreach work with state schools, including our link schools in the North-East and Oxfordshire.