Lord Chris Smith, a Member of the House of Lords is an avid patron and supporter of arts and creative industries in the UK. Serving as the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 1997 to 2001, he worked towards the restoration of free admissions to national museums and facilitated the funding for arts and sports in the country. With a decorated career, holding key positions as a Member of Parliament, Chris is now available to speak on his experiences as an MP, the first openly gay and HIV positive minister in the UK, and his insights on how to lead a great career and life despite facing adversity.
Chris’ political journey began in 1978, when he joined office as the Borough Councillor at Islington Borough Council. During this tenure he also served as the Chairman of Housing for the London Borough of Islington before he became an MP of Islington South and Finsbury. In 2001 he stepped down from his position as the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport and was instated as a Member of the House of Lord in 2005. It was in this year that Chris announced his diagnosis as HIV Positive, nearly twenty years after he came out as gay – becoming the first ever MP in the UK and Cabinet Minister in the world to do so. He also became the face of the Life Really Changed Campaign in 2021, that aimed to demonstrate how much progress has been made in the treatment of HIV and that those afflicted can live long, happy, meaningful lives and careers.
Today the Master of Pembroke College Cambridge, his alma mater where he studied English and received a PhD in Wordsworth and Coleridge, Chris received the Kennedy Scholarship to study at Harvard University back in the day. An ardent fan of the arts, he is the President of the Wordsworth Trust, Board Member of the English National Opera, Chairman of the Art Fund and was a Board Member for the National Theatre and Chairman for the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. He also served as the Chairman of the Advertising Standard Association for ten years in addition to being the Chairman of the Environmental Agency. He is currently the Chairman of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board.
Known for speaking with candour, when it came to opposing the Iraq War, or declaring his sexual orientation of HIV Positive status, Chris is a respected member of society. His efforts in substantiating creative industries, culture, media and sports in the UK are deeply appreciated. Bestowed with an Honorary Fellowship from Pembroke College Cambridge, with years of invaluable experience in pivotal government roles, Lord Chris Smith is an excellent choice to book for your next event. Enquire now!
