Producer

We are recruiting for two Producers to join our Producing and Event Management team. One is on a full-time, permanent basis and the second is on a part-time, fixed-term basis.

About the role and the team:

The Producer role at the Southbank Centre is an integral and senior role within the wider Artistic team. Line managed by the Head of Producing and Event Management, and sitting within the Arts Planning and Producing division, led by the Director Arts Planning and Producing, this role works closely with the Head of Producing and Event Management and three other Producers to manage, facilitate and produce activity across the organisation. Producers line manage Event Managers and other support roles within the team and are responsible for the schedule of Event Manager allocations across the breadth of the artistic work presented at the Southbank Centre.

Examples of Producer-led Festivals and Projects:

Meltdown Festival
Annual Summer Season (Planet Summer in 2023)
London Literature Festival
Imagine Children’s Festival
Southbank Centre Studio (a new programme supporting artists to develop and produce work)

Role objectives:

Working collaboratively with the Head of Producing and Event Management and other Producers to provide an effective, flexible and supportive Producing function for Southbank Centre's Artistic programme including as lead Producer on allocated Festivals, projects and seasons - managing budgets, contracts, and overseeing all related internal processes and operations across the festival/project.

Line managing Event Managers, Assistant Event Managers, Producing Assistants (direct line manager for 4-5 roles, with shared responsibility for the wider team). Scheduling Event Manager allocations in collaboration with the other Producers on a monthly basis, considering the event requirements, balance of workload and making the best use of skills across the team.

Providing producing expertise (working within both commercial and subsidised models) to Heads of Art Forms (Contemporary Music, Classical Music, Literature & Spoken Word, Performance & Dance, Public Programming - including Festival and Public Space programming) on an allocation basis including contract negotiation and advising on financial deals to maximise Southbank Centre’s position.

Main Responsibilities

Producing

• Lead Producer for festivals, seasons and major projects, as allocated, across all art-forms. Maintain an overview of the scheduling, budgeting, and staffing requirements in consultation with the Head of Producing and Event Management.
• Oversee each season and relevant festival on sale process (known internally as Go Live) ensuring that the correct information is collated for each event: image, copy, budget including target, deal memo.
• Coordinate all festival communications with Marketing, Communications and Ticketing Services
• Cultivate excellent relationships with all operational departments.
• Co-ordinate, attend and chair festival project team meetings with internal departments including Finance, Digital, Security, Health & Safety, Visitor Experience, Production, Planning, Property, Commercial, Development, Marketing, Communications, Ticketing Services and IT.
• Ensure that all allocated festivals are possible within the limitations of budget, time and resources and in line with agreed Activity Levels. Taking responsibility for this when designing the festival programme alongside the Lead Programmer and keeping the Head of Producing and Event Management abreast of developments as necessary.
• Work with the relevant Producing or Programming Assistant to ensure that the details of each artistic event are entered onto Artifax in accordance with internally agreed processes to enable planning and delivery by all SC departments.
• Support the relevant Head of Art Form (as allocated) to oversee the producing of seasonal work within that art form, including: being a key contributor to relevant weekly art form meetings; overseeing contract queries; ensuring contracts are in place before on sale, overseeing the annual budget for that art form.
• As agreed with the Head of Producing and Event Management and as discussed with the Programming team, attend strategic events pertaining to your artform to ensure consistency of delivery and as support to allocated team members and to be aware of the context of the programme within the wider cultural landscape and industry. Subject to budget and time considerations.
• Champion best practice in terms of access provision and work with Heads of Art Forms and the Head of Producing and Event Management to develop the artistic Access offer.

Team / relationship management

• Line manage a number of the Event Management team in all areas of recruitment, induction, training, disciplinary, sickness and performance including career and personal development. To inspire the team to think in a positive, problem-solving and collaborative manner.
• Oversee the staffing requirements and issue Event Manager allocations across allocated festivals and art form programmes. To supervise and enable the team through planning, inspiring, delegating and continually reviewing and monitoring working practices and patterns with the Head of Producing and Event Management and other Producers.

General

• Work closely with the Property team to manage all Planning Applications submitted to local authorities for the summer and winter seasons (if allocated) and other relevant external permissions and sign offs, leading on relevant working group meetings to include Commercial and Health and Safety.
• Work alongside the Head of Producing and Event Management and Head of Legal and Business Affairs, to negotiate new project contractual deals when required to include co-commissions, co-productions, own-promotions, partnerships and consultancies. Ensuring all contracts are issued in a timely manner and according to the sign-off process and timeline.
• Foster quality working relationships with all external contractors, suppliers, agencies and governmental bodies associated with effective service delivery to exceed the expectations of incoming artists and promoters.
• Manage and complete all paperwork for the project sign-off process as overseen by the Director Arts Planning and Producing including the scoping of projects.
• Work with the relevant Producing or Programming Assistant on festival and art form administration overseeing spatial grids, logistics grids, hotel bookings, travel, Certificates of Sponsorship and FEU tax applications.
• Work closely with the Director of Arts Planning and Producing, Head of Producing and Event Management and other Producers to streamline operational and planning communication within the department, ensuring that all responsibilities and role objectives for each member of the Event Management team are clarified during the planning process and on event days.
• Contribute to the overall efficient management of the Arts Planning and Producing and Artistic Programming teams and the development of the artistic programme.
• To work to ACE’s Creative Case for Diversity, actively contributing to developing the range of communities and demographics of artists Southbank Centre works with.
• To deliver agile administrative support across artistic projects as required.
• Carry out any reasonable tasks as requested by the Head of Producing and Event Management.
• This post requires some flexibility to work evenings / weekends in accordance with the needs of each particular festival or project.

Key skills that would help you in this role:

• Significant producing experience across a range of artforms with particular expertise in one or more of the artforms Southbank Centre presents (these are: Contemporary Music, Classical Music, Performance & Dance, Literature & Spoken Word, Public Programming - including Festival and Public Space programming);
• Experience of working with established international commercial producers and promoters, including ability to negotiate commercial and complex deals under pressure and maintain solid working relationships throughout;
• Demonstrable understanding of and commitment to the role that diversity and inclusion play in the activities of the Southbank Centre as a whole and in the work of this particular job;
• A passion for and experience of working with artists and communities who are underrepresented in the arts, so that we reflect the demographics of London in our spaces, in our audiences and in our organisation;
• Complex project management experience, with proven ability to successfully manage multiple competing projects and priorities;
• Ability to develop deals which manage financial risk and consider and manage internal resources;
• Knowledge of a range of art-forms, the wider cultural sector and an interest and curiosity for current and developing artistic practice;
• Support of innovation in artistic practice - for example through artist development and interdisciplinary practice;
• Experience of line management and/or leading a teams with care, support, empathy and flexibility;
• Taking a positive, flexible and proactive approach to work and working practices, is able to work effectively under pressure, is solutions-focused and has a can-do attitude to resolving issues as they arise;
• Is an outstanding organiser and administrator with meticulous attention to detail;
• Is open to change and has an understanding of how to support change management processes;
• Works collaboratively within a team, is solutions focussed and proactive, and has a proven track record of meeting deadlines and driving projects forward;
• Is able to understand a complex financial context and has experience of creating, managing and monitoring complex budgets, including multi-project budgets at various scales;
• Enjoys working as part of a team and has the ability to establish strong working relationships and to support and cooperate with others;
• Has outstanding interpersonal skills and is able to work well and communicate with a wide range of stakeholders - both internally and externally especially at a senior level;
• Can demonstrate a solid understanding of current Security and Health & Safety standards and regulations.

If you feel that your skills and experience do not fully meet the criteria as listed in the Job Description but that you have other relevant skills and experience that would support you in this role, please do apply and note these in your application.