Producing the Producers
One of the central pillars for Creative Producers International was the role of the programme’s Producer. This role, held by Pete Vance at Watershed, was designed to coordinate the delivery of the programme. From designing the activities and systems used to connect the cohort, to being the first point of contact for the producers, understanding their needs, encouraging the delivery of their work and keeping the cohort energised and active.
“At times, my oddly meta role as the Producer of other Producers could be challenging, particularly during the development and delivery of the investment fund projects. It was important that the participants had complete autonomy over their own work, and I had to fight my Producer’s instincts to get involved. I’ve learned a great deal about the value of having clearly defined roles and responsibilities on creative projects and how integral it is to maintain open and honest communication when working collaboratively.”
– Pete Vance, Producer – Watershed
Holding Space
At Watershed, we often talk about our role as facilitators and our desire to hold space for diverse groups of people – producers, businesses, artists and more – to come together and explore ideas.
Co-designing terms of engagement
As a UK-based cultural organisation working with people from cities across the world, who are making change in contexts very different from our own, it was vital we developed a process of co-design to empower and include the perspectives of the cohort.
Thinking about City Change
Creative Producers International aimed to support and empower Creative Producers to create innovative work and advocate for the importance of art and culture in shaping our cities of the future.
Staying in touch
“Without digital tools this programme wouldn’t have been a success. Choose tools with a low barrier to access, that are freely available to everyone in your network. Be creative. Experiment.”
Encouraging play
Each day we spent physically together as a cohort began with a member of the cohort leading a warm-up game. Scheduling time to be playful lowered inhibitions and helped the Creative Producers relax into the space.
Giving time and being responsive
We curated a wide range of talks, practical activities and workshops but by far the most impactful thing we programmed was unprogrammed time.
Exploring solutions to access barriers
Across the programme we adopted an attitude of enquiry to actively explore solutions to access barriers. In this way, access and inclusion permeated the programme, and were key motivations for many of the Creative Producers.
Taking Care
One of the challenges of being a Creative Producer can be looking after your own mental health and avoiding burnout.
