Tom Bloxham receives CBE at Windsor Castle
Tom Bloxham MBE, Chairman of the award-winning regeneration company Urban Splash and Founding Chair of Factory International, has received a CBE at Windsor Castle.
The honour comes after Tom was named in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours for his Services to Culture and Manchester International Festival / Factory International. It was presented today by King Charles III, in recognition of Tom’s outstanding contribution to culture in the United Kingdom, notably his two-decade tenure as Founding Chair of Factory International and the Manchester International Festival (MIF).
The CBE comes after continued national and international acclaim for both MIF and the OMA-designed Aviva Studios - the UK’s newest cultural landmark and permanent home of Factory International, which launched in 2023.
Speaking of the recognition, Tom said: “It was a huge honour to visit Windsor Castle and receive this award, a moment that marks the culmination of my long-standing passion for arts, culture and the creative industries. It’s been a privilege to work with so many talented people over the years who share that same belief in the power of culture to shape places and change lives.”
Tom’s first honour was an MBE awarded for his services to architecture and regeneration through Urban Splash, the company he founded in 1993. Over three decades, Urban Splash has delivered over six thousand new homes, more than two million square feet of workspace, and a series of vibrant new neighbourhoods in cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham, and Plymouth.
In addition to his roles at Urban Splash and Factory International, Tom has contributed extensively to public life and the arts. He has served as a Trustee of Arts Council England and Tate, as well as founding Chair of the Ancoats Urban Village Trust and the Centre for Cities think tank. He has also been a Trustee of the Manchester United Foundation, big issue North and the Bloxham Charitable Trust.
