James graduated as an Actor from the Centre for the Performing Arts (Adelaide) in 1993 before performing for Magpie Theatre Company, Springboard, Queenbitchery, Fleshdollies, Not So Straight and Brand X. As a Theatre Director, James has worked for the State Opera Company of South Australia, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Restless Dance Company, Urban Myth Theatre of Youth, AIT Arts, Shopfront, Ashfield Youth Theatre and The Studio at the Sydney Opera House. He has been Artistic Director for Brand X Theatre, D Faces of Youth Arts and Ashfield Youth Theatre, along with being the Associate Director for Urban Myth Theatre of Youth. His Community Cultural Development (CCD) experience includes theatre projects that engage communities with physical and intellectual disabilities, street dependent, same-sex attracted, drug dependent, sex-workers, remote indigenous communities, juvenile justice clients, incarcerated youth, refugee, recent arrival and dual diagnosis. James has also worked in Cairo (Egypt) with African artists in exile to establish self-determining community cultural development projects that include micro-business, cultural events, cultural policy, performance, networking and profile initiatives.