Museum Director - Development
Peter Armstrong
Peter Armstrong was born in Newcastle in 1963. Peter studied Drama and Classical History at Manchester University receiving a BA Hons. After college he returned to the North East where he began his career working in theatre, which has led him over the years to be a technician (Newcastle), a House Manager (Derby), a General Manager (Windsor) and eventually a producer on London West End of London. Peter believes that it is this love of theatre which has helped him to be able to recognise good stories and relate them to a diverse audience.
Working in a number of visitor attractions throughout the country including aquariums, factory tours and even running the London Dungeon, Peter’s varied and much-travelled career led him eventually to the world of museums where he held the post of CEO at the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham for 4 years. During this time he developed this small independent Museum of Law into one of the leading institutions in citizenship in the UK, founding the National Centre for Citizenship and the Law and working with over 500 excluded children a year this eventually led to the award of the first Gulbenkian Prize – the largest art prize in Britain.
He has been a Museum Director of the Royal Armouries since 2004 and is responsible for all new developments and exhibitions. He has a passion for using historic collections to tackle important issues today and for drawing out the real social significance from the Museum’s unique collection of weapons.