After 50 years in the business and the arrival of AI to do all this teaching and blog writing and stuff, I presumed that when I had completed the launch of Producers’ Persona I could watch the sparks of connections happening 24/7 through this global connector, and the next generation of mentors and guides would fill any spaces I had left.
When I sent out a survey to 160 UK and global producers who have joined Producers’ Persona and the 600 producers and theatremakers who had been part of the ground/zoom based monthly network sessions I’d run for 10 years, I got an overwhelming sense that some of the old work needs to continue.
15 years ago I was kindly told by a senior West End producer it was time to move aside on one project so fresh blood could come in and bang new heads against often impenetrable walls. That project thrives with full time properly paid staff replacing the 2 days a week I’d dedicated to it. It was the right time to move aside and it is great to attend events as an old observer with my ancient stories of how bad it was in the old days.
BUT it seems as though 2026 is a time to come back into the world and do what I can to support the next generation (and the current generation) of emerging and aspiring theatre prducers. For that reason I am restarting two programmes and re-energising two others:
Producers’ Pool the in person (London and Zoom alternate month) networking sessions will start Tues Jan 27th and you can read more about it here. We tend to get 10-30 people and they include old hands who enjoy meeting away from the laptop through to current trainees and students who are just venturing into the business. Old friends meet and new connections are forged. Online during covid we might have 40-50 people from 10+ countries – so exciting. Let’s see what 2026 unveils.
CGO Surgeries which I started way back in 2007 with my Associate Tom Atkins will now restart Wed Jan 28th. These 1-2-1 sessions have been taken by over 1000 artists, producers and creatives across so many artforms over the 18 years. I love for form. 50 minutes of conversation without me knowing, usually, anything about the issue or project they have. Sometimes I know very little about the artform they are passionate about. It is amazing how these unscripted, discreet sessions can unlock a ‘next step’ for someone, or a clarity of choices, and sometimes a key person they need to speak with next. From Bollywood to Tantra we have explored so many topics. https://www.chrisgrady.org/coming-soon/
Verndale Systems and I created Producers’ Persona as a networking databasewhich would have enabled producers from around the world to have a ‘pool’ meeting anytime online or in person. To our knowledge it is the only closed network for producers and programmers which isn’t going to get searched by the general public or people with scripts/cvs they need to get seen. It is a place projects can be shared on the noticeboard and by direct contact between producers. It could be a place where 1-2-1 surgeries can be created between those who love coaching/mentoring and those who need guidance. But after a year it feels that the profile holders need a bit of a tender push to really use it. People have asked for a monthly digest of new information, which I’m happy to do for a while. The Producers’ Pools will act as a monthly meeting point to complement the 24/7 meeting potential of the Persona platform.
I hope this added energy from CGO will help to give this well-recieved platform the traction it needs so that, very very soon I can be kindly told to step aside because we’ve all got it in hand.
And finally I will be re-offering Producing Proper Job Honest workshops in person and on zoom. Looking forward to my third one at Bristol University, revisiting the haunts of my past at the Winston Theatre. I hope other Universities and groups across UK and internationally will realise how much creative confidence can be generated in 2-3hrs of a workshop. The Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow has just confirmed one open access community workshop in the Spring too – a rare chance to work in my home Country. If you run a network or would like to host a workshop do email me chris [at] chrisgrady [dot] org https://www.chrisgrady.org/cgo-institute-producing-a-different-future/
Maybe Scotland is better served with a community of support across early career practitioners. EPAD in Edinburgh offers just that with funded placements and excellent networking for city based creatives and producers. And the Federation of Scottish Theatre is relaunching its producers forum as well as offering training and support in conjunction with its Creative Scotland funded members. Sadly, despite 2 years working on the pre-validation work in 2018-2019, there is still no formal MA for Creative Producers here in Scotland. We need more producers of other people’s work here and if CGO and I can help to encourage more people to realise that producing is a proper job honest, do get in touch.
Any plans to dedicate myself to daytime tele and dig deeper into my heritage and family tree look like they will have to go on hold for a few months yet.
Do let me know if CGO can be helpful to you and your projects, or if you want to support anything we do.
Cheers
Chris
‘Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”
So, you’re commanded by a higher authority to carry on serving – I join you, as, at 73, I had expected by now to be less involved in the business than I was, but all that stuff that’s in our head seems to be a rather valuable resource to those who are up-and-coming. I am though managing to ‘fade away’ with fewer days per week when my nose is to the grindstone!