On Work Behind the Work
Cover of "Producers as Central Figures in Theatre and Performing Arts" (2025), Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute. Report by Magdalena Tędziagolska and Anna Biernat.
The Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute just published a report called “Producers as Central Figures in the Theatre and Performing Arts Ecosystem.” It focuses on Poland, but the insights resonate far beyond that — across disciplines, geographies, and art forms.
I don’t work in theatre. But I do work in production — across contemporary art, digital media, hybrid formats. And in almost every setting, producers tend to be unnamed. We see the artist, the work, the event. But the person who holds the thing together? Not so much.
What’s so useful about this report is how clearly it spells out what producers actually do.
We work in-between — translating between institutions, funders, artists, and audiences.
We adapt quickly, problem-solve constantly, and hold the continuity of a project.
We manage contracts, logistics, relationships, expectations.
We know how things get made — structurally, politically, practically.
It also sketches the different ways people enter the field, how knowledge is passed on (or not), and what kinds of support systems exist — or could. It points to good practices: shared budgets, open rehearsal rooms, collective responsibility. It draws smart comparisons with the film world, where the role of a producer is clearer, more defined, and often more respected.
But what I appreciated most is that it names something I’ve seen again and again: the producer as someone who connects worlds. Not just between departments, but between values, visions, and systems. Not just logistics, but care.
Read the full report (PDF):
Producers as Central Figures in the Theatre and Performing Arts Ecosystem
If you’re in production — in theatre, festivals, exhibitions, games, installations — it’s worth a look.
The report is by Magdalena Tędziagolska and Anna Biernat, with contextual texts by Vânia Rodrigues and György Szabó — published by Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute, 2025.
