Golden Dragon Chinese Museum

HUGO LESCHEN

Hugo Leschen has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bendigo’s Golden Dragon Museum since 2020. Over this time paid admissions have increased by over 30% bringing total annual visitation to Dai Gum San up to some 70,000 – 80,000 people. Temporary exhibitions have returned after a lapse of some 15 years and the Museum has benefited from a $1.2M upgrade, its most significant infrastructure project since opening in 1991. Plans are well advanced for a major redveleopement to take place over the next 3 – 5 years.

Hugo’s career has seen him hold CEO and senior management positions in the not-for-profit arts and culture sector in Victoria and NSW. His experience in the Public Sector has also been at CEO and senior management levels in NSW and Northern Territory where he lead the Territory Government’s arts and culture department for almost eight years.

Hugo has been passionate about arts and culture from a very early age and has been fortunate to have worked professionally in the visual arts, screen, festivals, museums, heritage and perfoming arts. He is skilled at working cross-culturally and committed to promoting access and equity, ensuring that people feel comfortable enjoying and appreciaitng the arts just for their own sake and inherent beauty, as much as any other benefit they may provide.

When asked ‘What is Art’, Hugo strongly supports Brian Eno’s view that ‘Art is everything you don’t have to do.’