Meet the Cohort
Creative Producers International brought together a group of talented Creative Producers, united them as a single network and provided them with time, space and financial support to step away from the pressures of their day-to-day professional lives.
We wanted to facilitate a professional development journey that was rooted in a shared set of values, where the cohort could share their knowledge, skills, successes and failures, and sensitively interrogate one another’s practice. We wanted to collectively explore the value each of the Creative Producers brought to their creative projects, to better understand the type of projects they were passionate about creating, and how we could support one another to deliver that work.
When we were recruiting the cohort, we considered the importance of both innovation and friction. We wanted the participants to demonstrate a shared passion for creativity, but also possess a divergent range of perspectives and skills that would allow for the group to learn from one another and, where necessary, challenge and encourage one another in new directions. The ambition was to curate a group of individuals who could come together to co-create solutions to challenges, and expand their practices in a safe and supported environment. We curated a cohort not just diverse in place, but also in practice and methodology.
Seven of our cohort were nominated by our partner organisations, and eight were recruited through an open call. We looked for Creative Producers who demonstrated a distinct enthusiasm for peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, as well as a strong desire to deliver meaningful and accessible work in city spaces. The result was a varied mixture of practitioners across the world – Mexico City, Mexico; Tampa, USA (later Brooklyn); Dublin, Ireland; Liverpool, Manchester, Stratford-upon Avon, Bristol, London and Brighton, UK; Copenhagen, Denmark (later Santa Fe, USA); Almaty, Kazakhstan; Lagos, Nigeria; Durban, South Africa; Tokyo, Japan; and Sydney, Australia. Their expertise ranged from contemporary art, placemaking and community engagement, through to corporate collaboration, urban innovation and social activism.
To be connected with any of the Creative Producers, please contact us at playablecity@watershed.co.uk.
Brighton, UK
Alice is a producer and theatre maker with a particular interest in subversive political art, diversity and equality, pageantry and underground culture. She launches POWERHOUSE in 2020, a festival of routes to power for womxn and non-binary people.
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Anel is a cultural projects curator and creative producer at Light+Space studio, specializing on urban design and city development projects.
Tokyo, Japan
Bruce is a president and the creative studio producer of JKD Collective. He specialises in production of audio-visual content for the new era.
London, UK
Karishma is Curator: Public Realm and Partnerships at Somerset House and works on large scale public art commissions, as well as festivals, exhibitions and events.
Liverpool, UK
Kate is a creative business practitioner with a wealth of experience in the design, regeneration and learning sectors. She supports projects and people to create public spaces, buildings and community events.
Mexico City, Mexico
Leticia is the Creative Director and Co-founder of MACIA Estudio, a transdisciplinary practice combining architecture, experience design, play and applied research. Previously, she led the action-research area Playful City within Mexico City government’s innovation lab (LabCDMX).
Stratford-upon-Avon, UK (now Birmingham, UK)
Louisa is now Senior Producer, Cultural Programme & Live Sites for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. During Creative Producers International, she led on public and creative programmes at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Bristol, UK
Luke is the Studio Producer at the Pervasive Media Studio, which hosts a brilliant community of over 100 artists, creative companies, technologists and academics exploring experience design and creative technology.
Lagos, Nigeria
Malaika is the founder of Made Culture, a project management and communications consultancy. Her work focuses on delivering high social impact projects within multiple sectors including cities and urban development, creative industries and technology.
Dublin, Ireland
Michelle is an artist, curator and lecturer. Her work focuses on socially engaged practice and performance, often bringing people together to activate public spaces in ways that question their design and uses, while imagining new futures for the built environment.
Sydney, Australia
Paula is Creative Director and Co-founder of SimpleMotion.com. She has worked with organisations such as Arts Council England, British Film Institute and BBC.
Durban, South Africa
Russel is a cultural producer and creative industries consultant. His area of interest is the intersection of culture, heritage, tradition and modernity in South Africa with particular emphasis on black subjectivity.
Tampa, Florida, USA (now Brooklyn, NYC, USA)
Ryan is a designer, place maker, and founder/creative director of the award-winning design studio, The Urban Conga.
(International)
Sarah is a creative producer who develops strategies for bringing unprecedented creative and technological experiences to life. Previously, she led business development for immersive experience design company Meow Wolf and the creative technology residency at Autodesk’s Pier 9 Workshop.
Manchester, UK
Sarah is Engagement Manager for Manchester International Festival. She is passionate about cross art form practice and co-producing work with the communities of Greater Manchester.
