Working with a producer

Finding and retaining a producer is a recurring challenge for artists and companies.

The supply of talented freelance producers is far below demand, and the economics of the project-supported field rarely allow for permanent employment and a larger, continuous collaboration.

Fortunately, however, there are still many good examples of fruitful and long-term collaborations between a company or artistic director and a producer to draw inspiration from.

The following are ideas for what you can do if you want to collaborate with a producer - perhaps even a collaboration that goes beyond the realisation of a single project.

At the bottom of the page, you will find a summary of the challenges in the producer industry from the producer's perspective. Hopefully, this will help you understand how you as an employer can best meet the producer's needs - which is an important starting point for creating a long-term and sustainable collaboration in a precarious industry.

Define your exact needs

In Denmark, there is no formal education as a theatre producer. The production team in the industry is made up of very different profiles that have found their way into the profession in a more or less self-taught way. They each possess their own special blend of the producer's many professional skills, which they have built up through previous collaborations, education, interest and flair. Some have a very administrative profile, others are more focused on fundraising or strategic development, while others are more specialised in PR, project management, international collaboration or tour realisation.

It is therefore important that you consider exactly what type of producer you need at the very beginning. Only highly experienced producers in the project-supported field can deliver on the full spectrum and they are extremely popular. The chances of attracting one of the heavyweight producer profiles are therefore slim - and less experienced or versatile ones can often do it too.

Describe the person you're looking for and the position you're offering in detail:

Do we/the company need an all-round producer or rather e.g. an administrator, PR manager or fundraiser?

What kind of producer work can or will I or others in the company take on?

What specific professional skills do we/our company need most (e.g. bookkeeping, copywriting, sales skills, ticket management, project management)?

What specific people skills do we/our company need most (e.g. responsiveness, perseverance, flexibility, organisation, creativity)?

What hierarchical place and responsibility do we/company want the producer to have in the company or in a project?

Adjust your expectations, take a thorough reality check:

What is the financial headroom? Both now, but also expectations for the coming years if you want to start a longer co-operation

At what level of practice and activity are we/company at? Is the timing right to add a producer now?

Who and what competences do we/company already have in our network or project group?

Are the tasks we/company want to entrust the producer with realistic and achievable within the financial/employment framework?

Think outside the box and train a producer yourself

In relation to the problem of the general lack of producers in the independent field of the performing arts, consider whether you want to invest in training a new producer yourself.

Perhaps you have someone in your network who is interested in the profession and with whom you can imagine having a good working relationship?

Perhaps you have the opportunity to connect with such a person in connection with a larger project where you can use the project together as a starting point for training?

This can be a good model for building a close shared practice, but it requires extra resources from your side during the project period.

Also look to other industries

Also, keep in mind that new producers can be found in many places. Many existing producers have a background in Dramaturgy, Theatre and Performance Studies or other humanities subjects, but there are also examples of producers with a background in administrative, project management and PR positions in other industries.

To reach out to these profiles in your search for a producer, it can be a good idea to post the position, for example on the free platforms jobscenen.dk or via LinkedIn. Especially if you have ambitions and resources for a major recruitment, you can reach potential candidates outside your own network.

Understand the producer's reality and needs

There are some very basic conditions that make the role of producer difficult or insufficiently attractive for many to remain in. As a result, project-supported performing arts companies often see good producer resources disappear into more established theatre organisations or other industries. One of the fundamental problems is the working conditions in the industry and the challenges of formulating and strengthening your own practice as a producer within the given framework.

Some of the recurring issues related to retention and well-being for producers are:

A need to master a wide range of different skills at a professional level without an existing education

Lack of development opportunities

Poor/unstable finances and salary conditions

Short project positions, often on top of each other

Loneliness in the workplace and lack of sparring opportunities

Difficult working hours in relation to family life

Expectations to always be available

Unclear management structures in collaboration with the artistic director

Missing or vague job definitions and responsibilities

How can you address the producer's issues?

Be clear about working conditions (including working hours, hours, salary and other benefits, pension, time off, etc.)

Remember that the producer does not have the same relationship and dedication to your artistic work as you do, and that they should be hired on fair terms

Be clear about tasks and responsibilities and respect the agreements

Respect regular working hours as much as possible and limit evening and weekend work to busy ramp-up periods

For longer collaborations: Hold annual performance reviews and see if you can support the producer's professional development

Think of the producer as part of the core of your project team, so you include the producer in the project energy and community that exists in the rehearsal room and on the artistic team

Think about reciprocity and equality between artistic director and producer: Are you willing to share your local and international contacts with your producer? And does your producer have a network at the time of hiring that you can benefit from?

What do you offer besides money?

At first glance, you might think that a good, long-term collaboration with a producer is mostly a question of economics. Can you offer a producer the salary conditions they would be able to achieve in the more established part of the industry?

But perhaps in the independent field you can compensate for the financial challenge by offering other benefits such as personal recognition, social and artistic involvement, flexibility and a clear definition of tasks and responsibilities.

This UPgrade article has been developed by UP based on dialogues in autumn 2024 and insights from both producers and artistic leaders with many years of experience in the independent field.

If you have other tips to share here, feel free to write toinfo@udviklingsplatformen.dk

Working with a producer Working with a producer