People-Focused Producing

We are delighted to be launching People-Focused Producing – the first in a new series of training and development opportunities that China Plate will be offering in 2023, delivered in partnership with Warwick Arts Centre.

People-Focused Producing has been created as an alternative and complement to our existing training programme, The Optimists. Sessions aim to support and resource those without a creative background who are actively creating and producing work in and with their communities as well as creatives/producers at different stages in their careers.

Each session is free and will be delivered by a guest facilitator. Unlike The Optimists, there is no expectation to attend all sessions in the series; instead, you can sign up for which ones feel most useful to you.

Throughout the programme, we will cover topics such as:

  • Top tips for working in partnerships
  • Preparing funding applications
  • Evaluation processes
  • Creating/implementing care & well-being practices.

Selected sessions will be delivered online on Zoom, and some will be in-person at venues across the Midlands – see session information below and on our Opportunities page here.

This training programme is suitable for emerging producers, community artists and creatives.

If you are looking to expand your skills and knowledge whilst developing a sustainable practice and becoming part of a network of doers & producers, then People-Focused Producing is for you!

If there is a barrier to you attending or taking part in the sessions, please feel free to get in touch with our Training & Development Producer Kristina at [email protected] to discuss.

Programme Sessions 2023

If you are looking to expand your skills and knowledge whilst developing a sustainable practice and becoming part of a network of doers and producers, then People-Focused Producing is for you!

Here are the first 3 sessions which we have coming up – more will be released over the coming months.

SESSION 1: Writing Funding Applications
Date: Thursday 4th May, 6:00-8:30pm
Location: Online
Guest Facilitator: Rosie Kelly

For more information and to sign up, please visit Eventbrite here.

SESSION 2: You First
Date: Tuesday 23rd May, 6:00-8:30pm
Location: Legacy Centre of Excellence
Guest Facilitator: Marissa McCallam

For more information and to sign up, please visit Eventbrite here.

SESSION 3: Getting Started with Funding 2.0
Date: Monday 19th June, 6:00-8:30pm
Location: Warwick Arts Centre
Guest Facilitator: Ryan Dre Sinclair

For more information and to sign up, please visit Eventbrite here.

Spaces are limited; if you would like to register for a space on any of these sessions, please sign up via the Eventbrite links above. More information about each session is also available on these pages. 

A BSL & captioned and audio introduction about the programme are available to watch and listen to via our Opportunities page here.

Delivery and Access

Online sessions will be best experienced on a laptop, monitor or tablet but can also be accessed on a mobile phone. Locations for in-person sessions are indicated above. China Plate will provide access provisions where needed for both in-person and online sessions.

This could include:

  • BSL interpreters
  • Automated captioning and transcribing on Zoom (either through Otter.ai or Zoom)
  • Resource notes (including large print format)
  • Audio/video recordings (for internal use only)

If you have any questions and if we can make these sessions more accessible to you, please get in touch with our Training & Development Producer Kristina at [email protected].

Photo: On Our Way workshop by Nilupa Yasmin © Ahsen Sayeed

Guest Facilitators

Rosie Kelly profile picture

Rosie Kelly

Rosie has extensive experience working as a Producer across multiple artforms including theatre, spoken word, comedy, live art, circus and events. She worked for China Plate as their Senior Producer, curating and managing their artist development programme, and has produced projects for companies/artists including Rachel Bagshaw, Caroline Horton, Laura Nyahuye, Ursula Martinez, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Spiegeltent International and Coventry City of Culture 2022.

Her independent practice focuses on the development and delivery of creative health / arts and health projects, exploring how cross-sector partnerships can impact on clinical research, practice and public engagement. She is currently the Performance Producer for UCL Culture, developing collaborative relationships between artists and academics/researchers.

Marissa McCallam is a Body & Mindset Coach, Facilitator, Writer and Podcaster. Her experience as a Performer, Dance Teacher and her love for physical activity have made her a firm advocate for the benefits of body connection and its links to mental well being. This, combined with her passion for Self-Development and Mindset work, led her to leave her career of 10+ years in the international Corporate sector to pursue her calling as a Coach and Social Entrepreneur.

She is a certified Hypnosis, NLP, Time Line Therapy® Practitioner and Body Oriented Coach with training in Positive Psychology and Personal Performance Development. In 2016, she set up the platform Centre Myself which takes a fun and holistic approach towards increasing confidence and self-worth in Young People. She was previously a Health & Wellbeing Participation Producer at Pavilion Dance South West and holds a degree in TV Production.

Marissa helps Performers, Creatives & Entrepreneurs discover what they want, decide how to go for it and feel they deserve it.

Ryan Dre Sinclair profile picture

Ryan Dre Sinclair

Ryan Dre Sinclair is a producer, facilitator and founder of Empower Poetry. He has worked with organisations such as Beatfreeks, The Arts Council, The National Trust and BBC Words First. He has performed in locations such as Birmingham Town Hall, Boxpark Wembley, Atlanta’s Apache Café and Birmingham 2022 Festival.

Empower Poetry aims to instil power among poets from the region through supporting featured artists. The company has recently been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund to deliver projects in 2023.