What the fuck is a creative producer?

No really what do we do?

So this is a question I've been asked rather a lot recently so I thought I'd try and explain myself in print, even if purely so I could say here read this rather than talking at people for an hour straight about my job and what I believe it is and why I do it. So, let's jump straight in!

PRODUCER VS CREATIVE PRODUCER - is there a difference?

Short answer

- yes and no

Long answer

- When someone says producer to you what do you think of? Is it Cameron Mackintosh on the opening night of cats? People who invest in artistic projects? The person filling in all of the forms, contracts and risk assessments? The person saying no to all the cool, crazy and creative ideas the rest of a team has? The person who is nagging you to share the show on social media? Or anything similar?

These are just a few things that I have heard people say about producers and producing as a whole, that they're the fun sponges who are focused on the money, practicality and administration for a show and nothing else. While, yes, producers do in 99.9% of cases look after the budgets, fundraising, general administration and risk of a production it is by no means all we do. For me this is where the term creative producer comes in. It is less of a separate job and more of a reminder that just like writers, directors, designers the producer is also an independent creative artist in their own right with their own creative vision, passion and love for the projects they are working on. They want to be actively involved in discussions and decisions made about the direction the production is going in (and not just to say that you can't have a revolving stage) but to pitch in creative solutions to problems, give their opinion as well as ideas alongside and on the same level as the other creatives in the room, as well as sending contracts, managing the budget, fundraising and all of the other behind the scenes tasks you would usually attribute to the producer. This is not to say that the producer will have final say or deciding power on every aspect of the production (as I believe no one should have that) but that as a creative team the producer is equally as involved in creative discussions and decisions as everyone else.

This title also honours the fact that often it is producers who come up with the initial ideas for a production, who find the scripts, meet a writer they love and get a commission as well as create the team needed to bring that idea to live and that their initial creative vision is what got everyone into that room.

It is this way of looking at the role that I take into my practice which is inherently collaborative and I shall talk about more in a future post to prevent this one being miles long. But I do hope that this post has helped expand your view on some of the roles that a producer or creative producer might take on as part of the job as it is very varied one day you can be walking the red carpet at a premier and the next pushing a fire place onstage as you cover for a stage management role...