Remembering Derek Purnell

It is with deep sadness that we learnt of the passing of our dear friend and former colleague Derek Purnell on Saturday 2 August. 

Derek was born and grew up in Bristol. He joined the Royal Ballet School at 16 and Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet in 1973, dancing with them for over a decade reaching the rank of Soloist he showed his versatility across the Company’s repertory from the classics to new works. His many roles included Lysander in Ashton’s The Dream, the Gypsy Lover in Ashton’s The Two Pigeons, and stand-out performances in works by George Balanchine, including Concerto barocco. 

From the late 1980s, after retraining in arts administration at City University in London, Derek was a key member of the team that led the Company out of London to become Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 1997, alongside Artistic Director David Bintley, he took the pivotal role in the Company’s disaggregation from the Royal Opera House which led BRB to become the successful independent company it is today. 

Paying tribute to Derek, David Bintley remembers, ‘The ten years between 1995 and 2005, when Derek and I together led Birmingham Royal Ballet, were the happiest and most fulfilling of my professional life. His family, many friends and colleagues will not merely miss him, but lament his calm, practical and humorous good nature, now absent from our lives.’

Derek left BRB in 2005 to work as a freelance consultant. In 2014 he took his considerable experience to London’s Wallace Collection, three years’ later becoming its Chief Operating Officer. In July 2020, he accepted the challenge of directing Strawberry Hill House & Garden, Horace Walpole’s historic 18th-century Gothic villa in Twickenham, a role he held for four years. 

Throughout this time Derek continued to work within the ballet world, serving as, alongside other roles, a Governor of the Royal Ballet Companies and School from 2016 until late 2024.

In 2024, Derek was appointed to lead the Frederick Ashton Foundation. This appointment would have brought his distinguished career full circle, as the foundation is dedicated to preserving and enriching the legacy of the Royal Ballet Companies’ Founder Choreographer. Sadly, shortly after his appointment, Derek discovered he was unwell.

While his contribution across the heritage sector is immeasurable, ballet was at the heart of Derek’s life for over half a century. His time spent with Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, the company he loved and shaped, leaves an unforgettable legacy – without him we wouldn’t be the company we are today. He will be remembered by all who worked with him as a kind, generous and inspiring leader.

To Derek’s family, friends and colleagues, we extend our deepest condolences. Derek’s knowledge and influence will be felt across the cultural landscape of this country for many years to come.