Celebrating the life and legacy of Sir Roy Shaw

Keele University is celebrating the remarkable life and legacy of Changemaker Professor Sir Roy Shaw with a special exhibition and public lecture exploring his lifelong commitment to education, the arts and inclusive opportunity.

Sir Roy Shaw (1918-2012) was Director of Adult Education at Keele from 1962 to 1975, before becoming Secretary General of the Arts Council. Across his career, he championed the principle of “the best for the most” - the belief that educational and cultural excellence should be accessible to everyone, particularly those traditionally excluded from opportunity.

Born into a working-class family in Sheffield, Sir Roy experienced poverty and significant barriers to education and employment. His own experiences helped shape a career dedicated to widening access to learning and the arts.

During his time at Keele, he continued the University’s strong tradition of adult and workers’ education, building on the pioneering work of figures including Keele’s founding Principal Lord Lindsay and social reformer R.H. Tawney.

He went on to play an important role in national arts and education policy, including contributing to Jennie Lee’s landmark “A Policy for the Arts: the First Steps” and supporting innovative regional theatre through his work with Peter Cheeseman and the Victoria Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent.

The exhibition will bring together material from Sir Roy Shaw’s personal academic archive, alongside family photographs and artefacts, exploring his work and the ideas that shaped his career, including adult education, the arts and education, regional cultural provision, politics and the arts, broadcasting and media, ethics and Christianity, and the changing role of sponsorship.

Alongside the exhibition, visitors can discover the stories of other influential Changemakers whose achievements have been recognised by Keele through the award of honorary degrees.

The exhibition runs from 19 September to 28 October 2026 in the Chancellor’s Building at Keele University, with a public lecture also taking place in Chancellor’s Building on 5 October 2026 between 6-8pm.

Find out more and register for the public lecture.