Cultural Sector Leader Sir Roly Keating Cultivates Creative Passions for Forge Valley School Students in Sheffield

Inside Creative Careers

Over a long career, Sir Roly Keating has held some of the most senior roles in broadcasting and the cultural sector, including Chief Executive of the British Library and Controller of BBC Two. He now has a portfolio of roles that includes serving as a Governor of the Southbank Centre in London, a Trustee of Sheffield DocFest – and an inspirational speaker as part of Futures For All’s Speakers for Schools programme, for which he generously donates his time.

Talks That Inspire

In June 2026, Roly delivered an engaging talk to students at Forge Valley School, offering valuable life lessons and real-world industry insights from his extensive experience and responsibilities. Roly reflected on his career journey in the arts and media sector, from joining the BBC as a trainee straight from university to his later roles in broadcasting and at the British Library.

The talk helped to demystify the creative industries by illustrating the breadth of work within the sector – and its broader impact. Roly also offered students a live Q&A, giving them the opportunity to gain additional insights and advice. 

“Roly was an eloquent speaker and was very open in the Q&A session at the end… He genuinely seemed like he wanted to be there answering questions and the pupils really appreciated that…  I did hear pupils talking about how interesting it was as they left the lecture theatre.”

Enrichment Co-ordinator, Forge Valley School

The sheer volume and quality of questions from students highlighted just how curious, engaged and enthusiastic they were about creative careers and subjects – and the importance of fostering this passion.

“Creativity needs constant nourishment.”

Sir Roly Keating (source: X)

Opportunities like this inspire young people and raise their career aspirations by broadening their understanding of what’s possible for the future.

About the Speaker and Organisation

As Chief Executive of the British Library from 2012 to 2024, Sir Roly Keating led major capital projects and innovative programmes of exhibitions and events that reshaped how the British Library connects with the public – and strengthened its commitment to being the UK’s national library: “Open to everyone and free to use”.

Roly began his career as a producer-director at the BBC specialising in arts programmes and documentaries. He served as Controller of BBC Two from 2004 to 2008, where he oversaw the launch of popular long-running series including Dragons’ Den, The Apprentice and Springwatch.

Read more about Roly’s career here.

Discover Speakers for Schools Talks for Yourself

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Our Talks Library is available as a resource of insights into different sectors and roles.  

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