Producers Toolbox: The Way/Dao of the Producer
Lead Research Organisation:
Middlesex University
Department Name: Faculty of Arts & Creative Industries
Abstract
Mainland China's cultural sector has seen unprecedented growth in the past decade. This has included the construction of hundreds of new theatres and arts centres that offer artists and audiences new opportunities. The development of the human resources to match the new infrastructure is now a priority and the emerging arts producers in China, beyond the Eastern seaboard region, have few opportunities for professional development or international exchange.
To address this issue and to assist in developing the UK's opportunities for new exchanges with China, an existing collaboration between ResCen Research Centre, Middlesex University and the Beijing Dance Academy, has been extended to include arts sector partners - China's Poly Theatre Group and the UK's Chinese Arts Now supported by Arts Council England.
The proposal will create four pilot project presentations by leading and emerging UK producers, Emma Gladstone, Dance Umbrella; Farooq Chaudhry, Akram Khan Company; An-Ting Chang, Chinese Arts Now; and Joanna Dong, Performance Infinity. These will be presented at online Producers Forums hosted by the Poly Theatre Group in Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Kunming and then made available online as part of a resource pack called The Producers Toolbox: The Way/Dào of the Producer.
The hosting of the events in Poly Theatre Group venues will allow local participants to attend in person to view each presentation in a large-screen format and to take part in the UK-China discussions that follow the presentations via a modern and effective internet connection. Presentations will also be accessible to a wider audience online throughout mainland China and in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as in the UK. Each Forum will be moderated by Beijing Dance Academy Vice-President, Professor Xu and ResCen Research Centre Director, Professor Christopher Bannerman.
The UK presenters selected for this pilot project work in different contexts, are all experienced in international collaborations and their material will be carefully tailored for Chinese arts sector colleagues. Additionally, all presenters are widely acknowledged to be established or emerging leaders in their fields who are prepared to engage in lively dialogue and exchange, and to participate in any future collaborative projects.
The project is designed to make the first critical link enabling an ongoing exchange between the arts professionals who can create new international collaborative projects and to share information on how to make best use of the available opportunities. The presentations address the new Covid-19 realities and include the discussion of digital performance as well as looking ahead to a time when live performance with an audience will again be possible. The pilot project also assesses the use of the online mode for exchange and network events with Chinese colleagues when it is not possible to engage in the personal interactions that are traditionally important in this sector. Further planned developments include the creation of presentations by Chinese producers which will feature at future online China-UK Forums before being added to The Producers Toolbox.
To address this issue and to assist in developing the UK's opportunities for new exchanges with China, an existing collaboration between ResCen Research Centre, Middlesex University and the Beijing Dance Academy, has been extended to include arts sector partners - China's Poly Theatre Group and the UK's Chinese Arts Now supported by Arts Council England.
The proposal will create four pilot project presentations by leading and emerging UK producers, Emma Gladstone, Dance Umbrella; Farooq Chaudhry, Akram Khan Company; An-Ting Chang, Chinese Arts Now; and Joanna Dong, Performance Infinity. These will be presented at online Producers Forums hosted by the Poly Theatre Group in Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Kunming and then made available online as part of a resource pack called The Producers Toolbox: The Way/Dào of the Producer.
The hosting of the events in Poly Theatre Group venues will allow local participants to attend in person to view each presentation in a large-screen format and to take part in the UK-China discussions that follow the presentations via a modern and effective internet connection. Presentations will also be accessible to a wider audience online throughout mainland China and in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as in the UK. Each Forum will be moderated by Beijing Dance Academy Vice-President, Professor Xu and ResCen Research Centre Director, Professor Christopher Bannerman.
The UK presenters selected for this pilot project work in different contexts, are all experienced in international collaborations and their material will be carefully tailored for Chinese arts sector colleagues. Additionally, all presenters are widely acknowledged to be established or emerging leaders in their fields who are prepared to engage in lively dialogue and exchange, and to participate in any future collaborative projects.
The project is designed to make the first critical link enabling an ongoing exchange between the arts professionals who can create new international collaborative projects and to share information on how to make best use of the available opportunities. The presentations address the new Covid-19 realities and include the discussion of digital performance as well as looking ahead to a time when live performance with an audience will again be possible. The pilot project also assesses the use of the online mode for exchange and network events with Chinese colleagues when it is not possible to engage in the personal interactions that are traditionally important in this sector. Further planned developments include the creation of presentations by Chinese producers which will feature at future online China-UK Forums before being added to The Producers Toolbox.
| Description | There is potential for further development of a dialogic approach in work with international arts professionals both in research and impact/engagement terms. Over recent decades formal and informal networks of producers have made dance a leading ambassador for a creative and vibrant global Britain. Yet, despite these contributions, little is known about the practices or specific roles of those involved in producing dance. It is clear that there is scope for both a new scholarly agenda focused on producing as an essential and meaningful area of enquiry in which an expanded concept of producing particularly in relation to East Asia, can significantly activate the symbiotic nature of creative and research practices, increasing the visibility and impact of dance research and practice-research in particular. In both regions, the arts professionals who are central to the creation and presentation of new artistic dance work, are also mediating catalytic agents activating the creation and curation of meaningful engagements across a range of contexts that address broader social and cultural issues of equity and inclusion. |
| Exploitation Route | The Producers Toolbox presentations, and the international, cross-cultural dialogues that have resulted from them, have provided a basis for researchers and arts professionals to generate new research and new creative collaborations. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://rescen.net/ |
| Description | The outcomes from this award have included new dialogues between arts professionals, research student exchanges involving the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, and new artistic partnerships and collaborations. Some are still in the planning stage due to travel difficulties while others have taken on digital forms and, as the period of the award is ongoing, it is very likely that more will emerge. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | UK Artistic Director and CEO of China Arts Now, An-Ting Chang introduces the Artists as Producer as part of the Hong Kong SWEAT Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The Producers Toolbox series continued with UK Artistic Director and CEO of China Arts Now, An-Ting Chang who shared her vision of the artists as producer and the importance of collaboration in the performing arts. This took place as part of the Hong Kong SWEAT Festival with respondents from mainland China and Hong Kong. Vice President ZHAO Tiechun from China's National Centre for the Performing Arts, in Beijing was joined by Eddy Zee Head of Performing Arts Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts, Hong Kong. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://www.rescen.net |
| Description | UK Dance Producer Farooq Chaudhry in conversation with emerging artists Maya Dong and respondents HUANG Ruixue from Poly Theatre Group and artist/producer HU Shenyuan |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In 2009 Beijing Dance Academy and ResCen Research Centre began the ArtsCross/Danscross choreographic research initiative and, after ten years of development, introduced a programme in 2019 to promote dialogue, exchange and collaboration between Chinese and UK producers. This forum introduced The Producers Toolbox designed to provide resources for current and aspiring theatre and dance producers in China and to initiate dialogue between them and their UK colleagues. This first Producers Toolbox forum was with renowned UK producer Farooq Chaudhry discussing the relationship between the producer and the artist. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | http://www.rescen.net |