WYPW: Behind the scenes! What does a Creative Producer do?

Ever wondered what it’s like behind the scenes at our printmaking charity? Part of being supported by Arts Council England means that we exist to provide opportunities for creativity and our workshops are a big part of how we do this. We caught up with our Creative Producer for adult learning, Caro, to give us an insight into how we go about programming our workshops  and what she is looking forward to bringing to this year’s schedule. 

“Hi everyone, my role at WYPW mainly revolves around developing workshops that enable us to educate and share the joy of printmaking with our audiences. It might be that you are new to the techniques, looking for a fun, creative outlet or wanting to expand and develop your existing practice, I try to program a little something for everyone from newbies to seasoned pros.  

As a part-time member of a small team, like everyone here at the workshop, we end up juggling lots of things and consequently it’s safe to say my days are never the same! I’m usually working on several things all at once, everything from coordinating workshops and scouting new talent to brainstorming fresh ideas with tutors – it’s a careful balance of tradition with innovation, offering everything from the basic processes and techniques to the latest trends in printmaking. It’s also all about creating experiences that are not just educational but fun and playful too. So, there are several things to consider when pulling the program together.  

When it comes to prepping for workshops, it’s a team effort. I work closely with our awesome tutors, our technician and members coordinator to craft sessions that mix our tutors expertise with what our communities wants to learn. We plan and order materials, set up spaces and equipment and make sure everyone knows about what new printmaking workshops are coming their way – oh and I am always running to the shop for biscuits, yes, our workshops are fuelled by biscuits…  

One of the coolest parts of my job? Watching our workshops spark new creative journeys. Whether we’re experimenting with print and sculpture and playing with the boundaries between 2D and 3D, trying sustainable techniques or inspiring new printers with the possibilities of a technique; our workshops often send people on a new artistic path. One of the big benefits of learning here at WYPW is that you can continue to experiment beyond the hours of your workshop by becoming a member and taking advantage of our expert knowledge and experience as an organisation, it’s this ‘wrap around’ support which I think is one of the things I’m most proud of here at the workshop.  

There are definitely some more challenging aspects to the role too, like finding tutors with the right skills or figuring out the logistics. But we find a way through those – we’re a tight knit team and thankfully all come with a can do attitude which really helps!   

Looking ahead, we’ve got big plans to keep pushing the boundaries of what printmaking can be and what it means to people. We’re all about nurturing creativity and building a community where everyone feels welcome to explore their artistic side so our workshops program will hopefully continue to grow to support that. I’m continually adding workshops to the website so do check regularly or better still sign up to our newsletter or follow our socials – we’d love to see you at one of our workshops soon!”