Acclaimed journalist David Dimbleby is to step down as chairman of an art gallery by curating an exhibition with his daughter.

The broadcasting veteran, famous for his general election coverage, will leave his role at the Towner in Eastbourne after more than a decade.

Now, David will co-curate an exhibition with his daughter, artist and writer Liza Dimbleby, which will focus on drawing.

David, who lives near Polegate, said: “Co-curating this exhibition has been an exhilarating experience. Liza has always been my companion and guide through the world of art.

“For a time, during the Covid lockdown, rather than write to each other, we would exchange drawings by email.

“This was what gave Joe Hill [chief executive of the gallery] the idea of asking us to put on this exhibition - drawing taking the place of words.”

The exhibition will feature works that “communicate experiences that are beyond words” and will have more than 100 pieces from both the Towner collections and others such as the British Museum.

The drawings will be accompanied by a written dialogue produced by the father-daughter duo.

Joe Hill, director and chief executive of the Towner, said the exhibition was a “fitting end to David’s journey with us”, adding: “This thought-provoking exhibition will encourage our audiences to look again at the drawings in our collection through David and Liza’s unique lens.”

Towner EastbourneTowner Eastbourne

David will leave the role in September.

Liza said: “Drawing is a way of speaking. The hand-drawn image is able to convey ambivalence and even contradictory impulses, which can make drawing more eloquent than words in communicating the most confounding aspects of human experience, showing us things that even the person drawing may not foresee.”

The Towner celebrated its 100th anniversary last year by hosting the Turner Prize.

Drawing The Unspeakable will be on display there from October 5 to April 27, 2025.