What exactly is a Creative Producer?

Well.  Good question.  Different areas of the creative industries have different definitions but I like to keep mine simple.

 

A Creative Producer is the person who both project manages and also ensures the creative vision is being upheld when making a creative thing happen.

 

For me, that's developing and delivering an arts project, often participatory art where a key outcome is to help people be more creative in their everyday lives.  Sometimes, I take on all aspects of that journey from initial idea, securing funding, delivery and wrapping it all up neatly at the end. A very 2020 project came about in collaboration with James Johnson from getMade Design, called Splash Back... whilst we don't know if the next phase of it will ever happen, we will keep dreaming about Heath Robinson bathing machines, trundling across Scottish sands, collecting stories.

 

On other projects I'll be the one who comes in once the project outline and finance is in place.  I'm the plucky pirate type who can make things happen.

 

In 2019/20, I worked with the National Trust for Scotland on their Experiencing Collections project.  We worked in 6 properties, each with a different theme.  We created an after-dark tour at Brodie Castle, a series of different scents at Gladstone's Land, a soundscape at Culzean, a lighting experience at Haddo House, an adventure in materials and making at Kellie's Castle and an experiment in time at Pollok House.  At the end of it all we collaborated on a Creative Cookbook of ideas.

I've recently been working on Pioneering Spirit, also with the National Trust for Scotland, which is an archaeology project all about illicit whisky in partnership with The Glenlivet.

 

And, since 2005 I have produced beadwork and textile workshops and retreats under my micro social enterprise, Mrs Magooty which, despite the pandemic is still going!