Producer-oriented Operation Model in Theatre – Strategy and Experience of Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

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About the Seminar

What exactly makes a competent producer? Does having a producer mean running a business model?

Miss Jackie Zhang from Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre recently made a few remarks on her opinion about the roles of a producer at the China Culture and Entertainment Industry Summit in Beijing. Miss Zhang illustrated the procedures in tackling the difficulty of arts organization management in a four key points. First, issues concerning copyright purchase and management ought to be addressed, with the producer’s property rights clearly defined. Second, a thorough mechanism of projects declaration, vetting, execution, summarizing and distribution needs to be established in order to have master control over the proportion of capital investment in collaboration projects and annual profit and non-profit making project scale. Third, the producer should help guide the creative minds of the theatre to adjust their mindset and be prepared for drawbacks and hardships in the beginning. The producer also has to provide sufficient training for young directors and actors, dedicate to cultivate a long-term relationship of cooperation with the directors and playwrights and above all, always remember to learn and grow from mistakes. Miss Zhang further pointed out that producers should break out of static production patterns and be up with the times in employing development strategies by making good use of the many new social media resources.

Ever since its company reform in 2009, the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre has adapted the producer-oriented operation model. Currently, the Center's management funds has a high self-sustaining rate of over 60%, and is a pioneer among fellow performing art groups as innovative and mature model.

The global art environment is rapidly changing. Topping up are various cultural projects locally – the implementation of various infrastructure of the West Kowloon Cultural District, renovation and launching of numerous old and new Leisure and Cultural Services Department venues, as well as heritage architectural projects such as the Central Police Station Revitalization Project. Now is especially relevant to explore on innovative and proactive ways in operating the theatre.

The Hong Kong Arts Administrators Association is pleased to have invited Miss Jackie Zhang, Vice Manager and Director of Actors Department, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, to share her valuable experience on how the Centre operates with producers as the central point in planning and promoting theatrical productions.

Through this seminar, local performing arts operators can interact and take reference from mainland productions on the experiences and strategic planning in producing self-financing creations, facilitating discussion in the possible long term development of Hong Kong theatre and evaluating the positioning and responsibilities of the producer.  Besides, Jackie will address the challenges of being an effective producer with case studies.

To enrich the session, we have also invited Mr Louis Yu, Executive Director of Performing Arts, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, as respondent. HKAAA's General Manager, Miss Winona Chan, will moderate the session. 

Further reading:

[link_to | http://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2014/sep/10/vicky-graham-emily-dobbs-nicola-seed-new-breed-of-west-end-producer  |10/09/2014, "‘Commercial’ is not a dirty word: meet the new breed of theatre producer" The Guardian]

About Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

The Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre was established on January 23, 1995, after a merger between two acclaimed theater companies-- the Shanghai People's Art Theater and the Shanghai Youth Drama Troupe. Its founders are drama maestros Xia Yan , Huang Zuolin and Xiong Foxi.

Since its inception, the Centre has produced a number of works to reflect the nature of the times. The Centre has always attached much importance to cultural exchanges with international counterparts. They have staged more than 500 dramas by classical, modern and contemporary playwrights, both from the West and China.

The Centre boasts a number of established playwrights, directors, performers and stage artists, among whom more than 100 have been honored with various awards in drama, film and television. And seven performers -- Xi Meijuna, Lu Liang, Yi Zhusheng, Zhu Yi, Ye Mang, Tian Shui and Xia Zhiqing -- have received the Plum Blossom Award, the highest performance award in Chinese opera and drama.

The Centre often cooperates with drama artists from Japan, Britain, the United States, France, Australia, Russia and South Korea, producing a number of solid repertoires as a result of their joint efforts. Meanwhile, the Centre has performed in Japan, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan , winning great acclaim from local audiences.

The Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre's objective is to become the most modern national theater in China. The Centre now boasts a modern drama plaza with three separate stages: The Arts Theater, Drama Salon and Studio D6. It also has two rehearsal studios for all types of theatrical productions.

(Excerpted from [link_to | http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artists/2004-06/23/content_47495.htm | ChinaCulture.org ] )

For more details, please visit [link_to | http://www.china-drama.com/page/aboutus.vp.aspx |Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre Website  (Simplified Chinese only) ]