Brian Debnam graduated from Durham University in 1971(Geography) and then undertook the Diploma in Arts Administration course at the Polytechnic of Central London in 1971/2.

He then went to Australia for twenty years working in regional touring (Arts Council SA) the funding system (Australia Council) and then as a theatre director (Graduating from the Post graduate Directors’ Course at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1975).

After work in community theatre in rural Australia and as Associate Director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia, he founded The Stage Company specialising in new writing in the 1970’s and Harvest Theatre Company which specialised in large scale community theatre shows and in touring productions to rural communities in the 1980’s and worked as a director and designer with State Theatre Companies and commercial producers in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
He developed a keen interest in the design and development of venues through running the Building Theatres for Communities International Conference in Adelaide in 1974, operational work in several venues and working as theatre consultant on a number of new and converted venues. He was a member of the South Australian Government capital advisory committee for 7 years in the 1980’s.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s he was Director of The Centre for the Performing Arts (a performing arts training college) in Adelaide and developed the initial planning for its new buildings.
In 1992 he returned to the UK as Head of Performing Arts at Northern Arts where he was responsible for major reviews of music, dance, drama and touring, the funding of the region’s major companies and touring infrastructure and for the development of a number of major new capital projects funded through the national lottery including the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, Live Theatre Newcastle, the Phoenix Theatre Blyth and Welfare State’s Lantern House.

From 1996 to 1999, he was a key part of the team for the lottery bid for the Norman Foster designed Music Centre (now The Sage Gateshead) and then became its first Director of Resources in 2000, overseeing the building programme for the operating Trust and setting up all governance, budgetary, financial, HR and business systems.
After completing the development work at The Sage Gateshead he moved to the University of Northumbria to become an Associate of the Centre for Cultural Policy and Management in which capacity he led the financial components of the MA Cultural Management programme as well as playing a leading role in CCPM development projects in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth South Africa.

From 2004 to 2006 he has been working with the Johannesburg Development Agency, project managing the cultural programme for the development of the Newtown Cultural Precinct project.

He also worked as an independent consultant on a number of projects through his company Brian Debnam Limited which specialises in cultural policy development, capital projects – feasibility and development, organisational and education and training development, and business planning.

Brian is Chair of the Board of acclaimed Hexham based national touring company Theatre Sans Frontieres.