'Phenomenal Women' with Baroness Thangam Debbonaire

Inspired by the poem written by Maya Angelou, ‘Phenomenal Woman’ the Gainsborough Hotel launched a series in 2018, inviting women from all backgrounds who have achieved recognition and made a significant impact in their field to share their experiences and challenges encountered in their path to success.

Our fourth ‘Phenomenal Women’ guest speaker for 2025 is Baroness Thangam Debbonaire on Thursday 11th of September 2025.

5:45 pm -7:30 pm

Tickets are £15 and include prosecco and canapés.

Baroness Thangam Debbonaire is a Labour member of the House of Lords, a strategic advisor to arts and culture organisations and to the private sector. A former professional cellist, she is now a happy amateur in the Parliamentary string quartet “The Statutory Instruments”, which performs regularly. Her first paid professional engagement was at age 10, in a Swedish prison. Since then, she specialised in contemporary music, particularly in theatre.

Thangam’s current strategic advisory work includes: corporate sponsorship of arts, object reunification and cultural reparations, migration policy, the role of arts and culture in communities and international relations, protection of copyright and Intellectual Property in the age of AI, and the future of democracy. She occasionally writes for news outlets such as the Financial Times.

Thangam was Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol West 2015 – 2024 and a member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet 2020 - 2024, serving as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons. Before Parliament, as well as music, she spent 26 years in national and international work to end violence against women, including ten years working with perpetrators and carrying out research.

The Gainsborough welcomes all to attend and participate. Tickets include Prosecco and canapés and cost £15 each.

Feedback from a previous talk with Belinda Brown in September ‘23.

‘What an absolutely wonderful evening – I feel very privileged to have been part of the conversation with Belinda. It’s so rare to be able to have such an open discussion amongst a close group about the challenges and ambitions we all have. Belinda is indeed a phenomenal woman and I learnt so much and was so inspired so a huge well done for organising.

Kind regards and thank you again – truly inspiring!’

Feedback from Margaret Heffernan talk in April ‘24

• ‘I thought Margaret Heffernan’s talk last night was truly inspirational.'

• 'We certainly need to see and hear from superb female role models.'