The Role of Royal Academicians
President of the Royal Academy
The President stands for election from among the RAs each year, although by convention this is unopposed. The President must be under the age of 75 and cannot be in office for more than ten consecutive years. Once elected, the President is the representative of the Royal Academy and of all the RAs. The current President is Sir Nicholas Grimshaw.
Keeper
The Keeper of the Royal Academy is elected from among the RAs for a period of three years and is responsible for the Schools, the only three-year post-graduate art school in Britain. The Schools are located at the Royal Academy. The current Keeper is Professor Maurice Cockrill RA.
Maurice Cockrill RA, Study for Pathology
Treasurer
The Treasurer of the Royal Academy is elected from among the RAs for a period of five years and advises on financial issues.
Secretary
The Secretary is the only Officer who is not a Royal Academician. The Secretary is responsible to the President and Council for carrying out the policies of the Academy and for its day-to-day running.
Council
Council is a committee, comprising of the President and thirteen other RAs, which has the direction and management of all the business of the Royal Academy.
All RAs have the opportunity to sit on Council, by rotation, for a term of two years.
Various committees report to Council on each area of the RA’s activities and recommend policy. The current committees cover Architecture, Collections & Library, Exhibitions, Education, Schools and Works. Each committee is chaired by an RA and serviced by a senior member of staff from that area, and includes other staff and RAs.
The RAs who sit on Council each year also form the committee who select and hang the work submitted for the annual Summer Exhibition.
