Remembering Helen Scott Lidgett

Sarah Greenberg remembers a friend and champion of the arts, while Charles Saumarez Smith, Chief Executive of the RA, has written her obituary in the Telegraph

Helen Scott Lidgett Helen Scott Lidgett passed away after a valiant battle with ovarian cancer on 31 July. Well-known as a high-level arts PR consultant for institutions such as the RA, the British Museum and the British Council, Helen was much more than that. Her success lay in treating PR as a vehicle for championing the arts, through publicity, high-level lobbying, and quiet but effective advising at the top of arts organisations.

Behind all she did was a deeply held belief that art matters in public life, and that it matters to everyone. She was a friend of the arts in the truest sense, supporting people at all levels in their careers with her special blend of humour, candour, enthusiasm and positive reinforcement, be it on the job or in the warmth of her welcoming home.

Perhaps because she was educated at St Martin’s and her mother was an artist, Helen had enormous empathy for the creative life. She had an artistic, stylish flair, while also being extremely practical, organised and business-minded, which made her well-suited to working with organisations and bridging the gap between institutional concerns and creative ones.

Finally, she was an excellent example of a working mother, managing to raise three children while working full-time to support her family at a time when working women did not receive the support they do today. Those of us who had the good fortune to work with her, as I did, feel they know Helen’s family because of her vocal and visible love and enthusiasm for them, which added to her strength and humanity at work. I, like many at the RA, feel lucky to have known Helen and called her my friend. We will miss her.

• Read Charles Saumarez Smith's obituary of Helen Scott Lidgett in The Telegraph.

• Royal Academy of Arts