Derek Purnell, who has died aged 71 of a brain tumour, had a career focused on the arts and heritage encompassing both performance and administration. He had a true sense of purpose and the ability to inspire his colleagues, and always took an interest in their work.
In 1991 he took up the position of chief executive of Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), working alongside Peter Wright, the artistic director, and from 1995 with David Bintley. In a tribute, Bintley noted that the decade he worked alongside Purnell at the BRB was “the happiest and most fulfilling of my professional life”. Having danced with Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, the touring wing of the Royal Ballet, for a decade from 1973, and having become a dancers’ union representative, when Purnell retired from performing he trained in arts administration at City, University of London.
