Brian Christensen

Brian works across the performing arts, the broader creative economy, and all levels of government to support policy development, strategic planning, program evaluations, and impact assessments. A researcher at heart, he’s equally at home nose-deep in a report or talking to people to figure out what really matters to them.

He holds an MA in Communications and Culture from Toronto Metropolitan University and York University, where his thesis examined municipal property tax mechanisms to support live music venues. He also earned a BA in Political Science and a Diploma in Music (both with distinction) from MacEwan University. Before joining Nordicity, Brian worked as a senior advisor to an Edmonton City Councillor, building a deep understanding of how government policy-making can reverberate through creative communities.

Informed by more than a decade as a professional musician and theatre performer, Brian believes in the “if you build it, they will come” philosophy – as long as you build it properly. Get the policy right, make the economics work, create the infrastructure, and the artists will take it from there.

Early in his music career, Brian asked the late Senator Tommy Banks about playing gigs for exposure. Banks’ reply: “You can die from exposure.” The lesson stuck, so perhaps it’s no surprise that Brian now spends his days helping build sustainable creative economies where artists can actually make a living.