S2 E02 • Beth Hughes: Curating in Salisbury Cathedral

In this episode, David Trigg speaks to Beth Hughes, an independent curator and researcher who was Visual Arts Curator at Salisbury Cathedral from 2023 to 2025.

Beth discusses her time at Salisbury Cathedral, where she programmed six ambitious exhibitions, including the group shows ‘To Be Free’, which explored human rights and freedoms; ‘Our Earth’ which focused on the impact of climate change; and a solo exhibition of work by British artist Shezad Dawood.

Her final exhibition, ‘Living Water’, brings together works by six contemporary artists who explore the power of water, both as a symbol and an influence that shapes our world. Beth speaks about what inspired the exhibition and takes us on a tour of its works, which are situated in relation to the cathedral’s stunning architecture and ecclesiastical context. 

Previously, Beth was Curator at Arts Council Collection for eight years and is currently Curator and Creative Producer for Lubaina Himid Projects. Beth is also undertaking a PhD with Manchester University to examine the representation of contemporary British working-class artists in publicly-funded art collections, and she leads the Working Class British Art Network.

Artworks discussed in this episode can be viewed on Instagram @exhibitingfaith

For more information on ‘Living Water’ visit the Salisbury Cathedral website.

To learn more about Beth Hughes, visit her website and follow @beth_beth_hughes on Instagram.

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:23 What attracted Beth to the cathedral?
• 5:09 How did Beth approach exhibition making at the cathedral?
• 8:36 What has Beth learned about the intersection of art and faith?
• 13:48 What role did faith play in Beth's upbringing?
• 17:27 Were any artists hesitant about showing their work at the cathedral?
• 18:51 Did Beth receive any pushback?
• 23:19 Living Water
• 26:57 Exhibition tour
• 57:44 What has Beth found most challenging?
• 58:36 What has Beth found most rewarding?
• 1:00:37 Outro