Biography

William Wells is the Co-Founding Director of the Townhouse Gallery in Cairo, an institution that combines contemporary art space with an extensive outreach programme. Its overarching mission is to make the arts accessible to all without compromising creative practice. William Wells started his career in the arts in 1980, as one of the co-founders of London-based Unit Seven Studios, a multi-disciplinary artist-run collective. He also served as an educational advisor to Britain’s Arts Council and Crafts Council. Wells moved to Cairo in 1985, where he worked for development agencies before returning to the curatorial and arts management fields, setting up art programmes and agencies throughout the Middle East. Wells established the Townhouse Gallery of contemporary art in 1998. He sits on the Board of the Foundation for Arts Initiative, and has helped develop an extensive network of cultural spaces worldwide.