Tate director Maria Balshaw: ‘I still come into work feeling terrified’

The art gallery boss on the role of museums today, the politics of sponsorship and how Cornelia Parker influenced her decision-makingMaria Balshaw, 54, has been the director of Tate since 2017, the first woman to hold the position. She grew up in Northampton, and after university worked as an academic. In 2002, she switched careers, as the director of Creative Partnerships, a government programme that aimed to develop creativity in young people by bringing schools and artists together. In 2006,