Profile

Brian Debnam and Associates Ltd was founded in 2003 as Brian Debnam Ltd, an arts and cultural consultancy practice which called upon the skills and experience of its principal Brian Debnam.

From 2003 to 2007, Brian Debnam worked in association with a number of individuals and companies including Joined up North, Roger Lancaster and Associates, xsite architecture, GAPP Architects SA, Cultures in Regeneration and Peter Stark, South Africa.

By 2008 the business had expanded sufficiently for Jenny Dewar to be appointed as practice administrator and for a number of associates to work regularly on projects alongside the permanent team. The capacity of the practice now covers:-

• Capital and project feasibility studies.
• Organisational development.
• Business Planning.
• Project management.
• Cultural policy and planning.
• Research.
• Training, mentoring and facilitation.
• Education and training development.

Current clients and projects are: Co-ordinating Consultants for the Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Project co-ordination with the Newbiggin Heritage Partnership, Business planning with Ballet Lorent and Contemporary Arts Allenshead, Project Management of the UK Office for the Swallows Partnership, mentoring and Organisational Review for Newtown (Johannesburg) Improvement District, Organisational Development and Business Planning for South African State Theatre, Capital and project feasibility study for Let’s Circus and Christ Church, Newcastle, development of a music strategy for Sunderland City Council and project consultant for a new Arts Resource for Sedgefield Borough Council.

The practice was renamed as Brian Debnam and Associates Ltd in October 2008.

Our Client list from 2003 has been Arts Council England, Ballet Lorent, Bassline SA, Bishop Auckland College, Cultures in Regeneration SA, Cyprus Government Department for Education and the Arts,  Eastern Cape Government Department for Sport Recreation Arts and Culture, Gateshead College, Huddersfield University Music Department, International Opera Foundation Eszterháza, Johannesburg Development Agency SA, Johannesburg Property Company SA, Live Theatre Newcastle, Newtown Management District SA, Nelson Mandela Metro Council SA, Newbiggin Heritage Partnership, Newcastle City Council, North East Institute, Northumbria University Faculty for the Arts, Northumberland National Parks Authority, Northern Film and Media, Market Theatre Johannesburg SA, Sakoba Dance Company, Sedgefield Borough Council, Sibikwa Community Project SA, Sunderland City Council, Thesele Theatre Company SA, Teeny Tiny Films, Tyne Theatre and Opera House Preservation Trust, University of Witwatersrand SA and Wear Valley District Council.

Brian Debnam studied Geography at Durham University, arts administration at the Polytechnic of Central London, theatre direction at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney and financial administration at the University of South Australia.

During a career in arts and cultural management of over 30 years he has worked in UK and Australia in the management of touring organisations and arts buildings, as a senior arts manager for funding bodies, a principal of an arts training college and a theatre director, producer and designer. At Northern Arts during the 1990s he worked on the development of a number of successful Lottery funded arts capital projects including the Lantern House in Ulverston, the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick and the Sage Gateshead. From 1999 to 2003 he was acting General Manager and then Director of Resources for The Sage Gateshead a 70 million pound lottery funded project.

Since 2003 he has been chair of Board of the acclaimed national touring theatre company Theatre Sans Frontieres which is based in Hexham, UK.

Jenny Dewar is a graduate from the MA Cultural Management Programme at Northumbria University (Dissertation “Management of Creative People”) and a graduate in Performing Arts from the University of Sunderland and in Music Theatre from Newcastle College. She has a professional background in music and events management, local authority and IT administration. Her role with Brian Debnam and Associates Ltd involves project and practice administration and research.