Careers in Producing: a panel discussion
Are you interested in a career as a theatre producer but don’t know where to start? Want to find out how to produce events at different scales, and get your foot in the door to the industry? Join three producers as they discuss their careers and share advice for getting a job in the arts.
Our panel all work for the Schwarzman Centre Cultural Programme:
- Rosie Kelly, theatre
- Elizabeth Lawal, theatre
- Alexis Paterson, music
Chaired by Alex Coke, Theatre & Performance Research Partnerships Manager (TORCH)
Rosie Kelly is an experienced producer working across cultural programming, artist development and cross-sector collaboration, with a career spanning multiple artforms including theatre, performance, combined arts and interdisciplinary practice. She is currently Senior Producer for the Schwarzman Centre Cultural Programme, where she supports the delivery of ambitious projects that bring artists into dialogue with university research and public audiences. Her practice is rooted in collaboration, with a longstanding interest in how the arts intersect with health, research and learning. Previously Senior Producer at China Plate for over a decade, Rosie led artist development programmes, producer training, programming, and commissioning, alongside extensive advocacy for artist wellbeing.
Alexis Paterson joined he University of Oxford as the Cultural Programme's Senior Music Programme Producer in Autumn 2024. Prior to this, she was Chief Executive of the Three Choirs Festival for eight years, and Music Festival Manager at Cheltenham Festivals for five. She has also worked as part of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's learning and participation team, as well as coordinating their smaller ensembles, and in a freelance capacity at Presteigne, Wilderness and End of the Road festivals. She also freelances on various projects as an arranger and composer's assistant. Alexis has a PhD in music and critical theory, and has taught at the universities of Cardiff and Salford. She is a trustee of Cheltenham Music Festival Society, Streetwise Opera and the Carducci Trust and formerly chair of the British Arts Festivals Association and a founding trustee of Goldfield Productions.
Elizabeth Zeddie Lawal is the Theatre and Performance Producer at The Schwarzman Centre for The Humanities, and award-winning international creative producer, theatre maker, facilitator, and host as well as a co-founder of More than a Moment, a creative agency, and innovation lab, with a mission to end civic, cultural and economic inequality in the 21st century. Since graduating from The University of Birmingham in Drama and Theatre Arts in 2016, she has worked between the culture and the Tech industry and is committed to empowering leaders and communities to thrive whilst using creativity as a mirror to society. She is the writer of a play called Exhale, has performed at the Global Amnesty International human rights forum in South Africa, and co-wrote and performed at the UBUMUNTU festival in Rwanda. Elizabeth is also the creator of Empires, Pioneers, and the New Radicals," an Augmented Reality walking tour, 'The Commons', a playful model that explores new ways of collaboration and problem-solving and is the founder of Beautiful Futures Festival. She has been recognised by Birmingham Mail 30 Under 30 (2018), The Stage 100 (2020) for More than a Moment pledge, Finalist of Woman of the Year 2022, finalist for the Birmingham Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2023, and Winner of Potential Unlocked Awards 2024. She is also Trustee of Birmingham Hippodrome and is on the West Midlands Cultural Leadership Board.
