Matthew Jarratt is a creative broker, consultant, and curator, known for bringing together the public sector, private enterprise, and artists to realise ambitious arts and culture projects. He is based in North East England, currently working across the UK, USA, and China on arts commissioning, curatorial projects, and cultural policy.
Drawing on over 25 years of experience in both public and private sectors, Matthew has cultivated an extensive global network of arts and business contacts. Acting as a conduit, introducer, and curator, he is known for delivering bold, inspiring visual arts commissions in new buildings, public realm and historic spaces.
Matthew began his career as an artist in the late 1980’sbefore spending 14 years at Arts Council England (1999 – 2013) as a creative broker, helping to shape the North East’s culture-led regeneration and developing many new arts buildings and artist commissions throughout the region leading an in-house agency called Commissions North. Between 2008 and 2010 he represented the cultural sector at the North East England Office in Brussels, contributing to cultural policy at a strategic level. From 2013 to 2025, Matthew led the North East Culture Partnership.
Since 2013 his main focus has been as an independent curator and arts consultant working with private sector clients, commissioning over 30 public artworks within new capital developments in England and Scotland and organising many exhibitions in galleries and historic buildings.
Matthew has recently completed a comprehensive arts strategy for a 15-year property development in Edinburgh, curated an exhibition on environmental research for Newcastle University, created outdoor sculpture exhibitions in York, and has established the annual North East Emerging Artist Award with the National Trust at Seaton Delaval Hall. Current projects include commissioning a mechanical sculpture in Missouri USA, architectural sculpture for Camden Good Yard, London, and a number of ambitious landmark sculptures.
Matthew has an ongoing commitment to support new graduates and emerging artists to gain experience and to be helped to develop proposals for commissions and installations. Matthew mentors around 10 artists each year.
Every project is unique and Matthew engages closely with clients to understand their objectives and then takes tailored approach to developing projects, shaping artists briefs, supporting and mentoring new artists and commissioning artworks within complex capital projects.
Matthew has served as a Trustee a number of Charitable Boards including the Royal Society of Sculptors and Theatre Hullabaloo. Since 2018 Matthew has been a Visiting Professor of Practice at Newcastle University.