Lorna and I go back many years from our time in New York. I sat for a chat with her and co-founder, Rachael McNabb to talk about New Public, the cultural placemaking and public art agency they launched together in London in 2023. Turns out it’s a lot more than you’d expect from an art agency. They are women-owned and operated and strive for something deeper than simply winning a bid — they are on a mission to affect cultures at the root level through a full range of creative mediums.
Lorna-Rose Simpson and Rachael McNabb
How did you two get together?
(RMN): We’ve known each other for 20 years, we are first and foremost best of friends. We met during our time in Glasgow. I studied Textile Design at the Glasgow School of Art, while Lorna was at Glasgow University doing a Masters in English Literature.
Tell me more about your background?
(RMN): My first foray into public art was working with Damien Hirst, I was there on and off for about 9 years.
IN-CRED-I-BLE.
One of my standout moments was a commission called “The Miraculous Journey” for Sidra Medicine, a hospital in Doha focused on women and children. It was a 14-piece bronze sculpture outside the hospital; it was such an amazing project to work on - knowing it would impact the not only patient's experience but the public too.
I started off as a runner, then the exhibitions departments, before specialising in public art. The last project I worked on with him was the headless ‘Demon with Bowl’ in 2021, which was a monumental artwork by the cable cars in Greenwich Peninsula.
Illuminated River Project by artist Leo Villareal with Futurecity (Rachael McNabb)
After my first stint with Damien Hirst, I went to Futurecity as Head of Public Art, curating and delivering great infrastructure projects there: I worked on the competition submission for the Illuminated River with artist Leo Villareal and with Pace Gallery, lighting the bridges along the Thames under one artist-led vision. It’s now complete and city-wide, Leo’s artwork was about stripping systems right down to their essence - illuminating and celebrating parts of the city that would otherwise be hidden.
(LRS): After University I did an arts internship at The Arches in Glasgow and then moved back to London, which is where I’m from. I worked at the Arts Depot in North London and was there for a year before moving to Southbank Centre, and that really put me on my trajectory. I was there for 4-5 years working on pillar programmes like Meltdown Festival with Massive Attack and loads of other amazing contemporary, classical music, and literature festivals.
Jaume Plensa, Behind The Walls, at Frieze Sculpture 2020 at Rockefeller Center (Lorna-Rose Simpson)
I moved to New York seeking out a new challenge and ended up being there for 12 years in total. I was at the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts for 4 years working on their public programmes. I was also Programming Director for Moogfest the music and technology festival in North Carolina. Everyone from the Beatles to Queen to Childish Gambino has used Moog equipment, and I was brought in to reimagine what their annual festival could look like – including keynote talks, workshops, installations, demos, etc. Other projects include launching NY Men’s Fashion week with the CFDA; and brand activations with Alexandar Wang, ADIDAS, The Economist, etc.
My last role in NY was at Rockefeller Center. I was brought on board to help reinvigorate the public realm through programming and partnerships and to figure out how we could really activate it. The key there was shaping an elevated and democratised civic space, which was free and open to the public. And that’s some of what we’ve tried to build into our work at New Public.
Lorna and Rachael working together at Chelsea Barracks on the Dale Chihuly installation
And how did New Public come about?
(RMN): We realised that we had quite a unique combination of skillsets and backgrounds. We saw a space to do things differently—to create cultural experiences that are open, strategic, and artist-led.
New Public’s principles focus on identifying unique moments for every project. A place which connects culture, commerce and community. We strongly advocate not only art for all but art with sustainable ecosystems. Through our core principles of authenticity, integrity, inclusivity and sustainability, we champion putting people in the epicentre of our projects.
We aim to make our work democratic and part of that means really trying to foster new opportunities for creatives at all levels.
It seems we’ve tapped into something pretty incredible because we’ve already worked on some wonderful projects and have cultivated some really amazing clients. We’re a women-owned and operated business, a team of 8 in total.
And it’s not simply connecting companies with visual arts but it’s almost this creative synergy that you are cultivating.
(LRS): Yes, definitely, many of our projects have been public art based but we offer a range of services. For us it’s about art in all forms and how we can foster a community. There is the commercial aspect, which is what helps grow and sustain a project, but the overarching approach is about bringing all of it together, connecting the dots — culture, commerce, creativity, community.
Modern Masters with London Craft Week, Chihuly at Chelsea Barracks, Dale Chihuly, May 2024
Tell me more about how you operate?
(RMN): Every project we work on has its own little story for how it came about. To start, we launched in 2023, and that in itself sparked a lot of conversations.
We met with the now Managing Director of London Craft Week, Naomi. She didn’t have an exact project in mind but wanted to do something different for their 10th Anniversary in 2024. Over 250,000 people attend this festival each year, they have a huge network online and work with landowners and premium sponsors too. We connected the dots to develop a concept called “Modern Masters”, which spotlights craftsmanship in contemporary art - this came from one conversation and a synergy between us all. The series launched with “Dale Chihuly at Chelsea Barracks” last spring, with the second edition of “Modern Masters” opening a couple of weeks ago at Battersea Power Station with the artist Charlotte Colbert, which is on until June 1st.
Rachael and Lorna with the artist Charlotte Colbert and Ava Kaartinen at Battersea Power Station, April 2025
Another ongoing project of ours is with the Heart of London Business Alliance for their programme Art of London. They are a business improvement district representing an area which includes Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, St James, St Martin’s and institutions including the Royal Academy, National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. We were invited to bid for a tender; all the other agencies had a month to put their pitch together, but we only had a week because we just heard about it through a conversation. We presented, they asked us back in to meet the CEO, and appointed us for a strategic recommendation for Art of London arts programme. We were charged with looking at artists, locations, briefs etc etc. Now we are their curator of choice, we’ve delivered three installations with them so far and hope to continue our collaboration.
I mean it must have been a damn good pitch! That’s a really huge reflection of the quality of work you can do at New Public.
(RM): Yea, I mean the work we did on that we still refer to.
How do you divide the workload between you?
(LRS): We wear many hats. While we have an amazing team of creative producers, we’re still involved in everything from budgeting to design—and that’s how we stay close to the work. Does it make it tricky sometimes? Yeah, of course, but that’s running a business.
And we’re grateful because we can say with pride that when someone employs New Public they get us. It’s also really empowering for us to know we’re so engaged in all of the decisions as well.
And what does the rest of the team look like to get these projects done?
Modern Masters at Battersea Power Station, April 2025
(LRS): It tends to be more project-based and really varies. For example, one of our creative producers is very community focused, she worked at UCL and has done a lot of work with social engagement, commissioning art that engages with the community. So she’s been working with us to develop a cultural strategy for Baker St, Marylebone with the BID, Baker Street Quarter Partnership, as well as a ceramics commission with seven makers from Crafts Council.
We have a super experienced production-heavy, associate who loves delivery. So, she’s been key in our big projects where we’re delivering in Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and for a public art commission as part of the opening of Fulham Pier, a new riverside destination on the river Thames. We’re dealing with spaces that are highly visible and very nuanced because they’re often landmarked or in the development stage.
And then we have a curator/creative producer supporting on a permanent interior arts programme for a new building opening in September, a part time project administrator who also works at the Young V&A that supports us across everything, a great strategist based in Vienna that also works for the Design Museum in London, and we recently onboarded someone to oversee Social Media, which has been a game changer! Everyone comes from either a public art, art/design, production, or a public programming background.
Chila Kumari Singh Burman in her studio
Tell me about your artists.
(RMN): We don’t operate with a fixed artist roster. Each project is curated specifically—whether it’s a public sculpture or a brand activation. That flexibility allows us to stay responsive to context and community. The projects range from commissioning beautiful interior ceramic pieces with the Craft Council for a new concept restaurant, to these huge public art projects and brand collaborations. But what we’re really interested in is making sure that marriage between location, community, and the client all work for that specific artist.
For the Art of London programme there’s a sub-programme which is called Art After Dark, it runs in October and March. We curated Chila Burman’s work for it in Leicester Square Gardens last October. We supported Chila from concept through to installation—being there on-site for every stage, including the overnight build in Leicester Square Gardens. Hearing her speak on ITV about how transformative the experience was for her made it even more meaningful.
(LRS): Chila is a particularly powerful woman, she was just perfect for this project. Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian is another powerhouse that we recently worked with for the March edition called Piccadilly Un:Plugged, they are a multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker, who works with space a lot.
Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, Picadilly Un:Plugged, for Art of London: Art After Dark, March 2025
We’re talking about outer space, “space” right?
Yes exactly! They founded The International Space Orchestra of astronauts, which is an orchestra of astronauts and scientists from NASA and SETI.
Rachael and I talk a lot about creating a platform for artists where we can help expand their practice as well.
How do you keep up with artists and the art world?
(RMN): We stay open to conversation. Artists are now coming to us, which is a shift. We try to be present—at talks, galleries, and studio visits—to stay connected to what’s emerging.
Art of London: Yinka Ilori, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait, August 2024
Now that we’re more established, artists can see that we can bring real opportunities. We worked with Yinka Ilori who I recently saw at an event at the Serpentine Gallery, and he said that the Piccadilly Circus project “Good Things come to Those Who Wait” for Art of London was a huge moment for him. He felt really supported by us and that meant a lot to us as curators.
I mean, these are some really awesome and already well-known contemporaries you’re working with who are only on the up.
So what’s the future look like for New Public?
(RMN): First and foremost, we want to make sure our business is run in a way that we can feel proud of. In the next five years, we’d love to expand our international work- keeping our authenticity and staying true to our values. We're currently wrapping up a cultural strategy for Baker Street Quarter Partnership and we’d like to do more of this type of work, because if you can genuinely imbed culture at this point, then that’s when you can see more genuine impact taking place. It's more meaningful and grass roots when you engage at that early stage.
Lastly, I have to ask, what was it like working with Damien Rachael?
(RMN): Working with Damien Hirst offered incredible learning opportunities. I developed an understanding of how projects can be delivered at scale, with care and precision. It was a pivotal career move for me when I was starting out —offering firsthand insight into how artists can innovate and influence within the context of public art, fashion, charity and hospitality, and how truly impactful collaboration can be when art is integrated into shared spaces.
It must have been so amazing. I’m terribly jealous!
Feeling inspired to check out Courtney’s work?