I joined O.Dela Arts first through grant and production support and later worked as Managing Producer.
The organization's central program, Matriarchs Uprising, brings contemporary Indigenous dance artists together through performance, presentation and exchange.
Producing with O.Dela Arts
I worked with Artistic Director Olivia C. Davies on the funding, administration, partnerships, production and touring needed to present the organization’s artistic work.
Alongside the next festival, I was planning for the organization’s future: funding, staffing and relationships with artists and presenters.
My role
As Managing Producer, I worked across budgets, public funding, contracts, staffing, festival delivery and touring logistics.
During my time with O.Dela Arts, I doubled the organization’s operating funding, expanding the resources available to support its artists and programming.
I also redesigned the producing model to support a week of free workshops, masterclasses and performances.
How we worked
I worked between artists, presenters, venues, funders and production teams, keeping track of what each needed from the others.
Each touring artist and work had different cultural, technical and practical needs. We had to understand those needs and agree with presenting partners how to meet them.
That required clear responsibilities and a willingness to adapt the plan.
The photograph shows the Gathering Hope residency sharing at Morrow in 2023, part of the festival’s program of creation and exchange.
Planning beyond one festival
Funding, staffing and touring affect one another. Planning them together helped us think beyond the next presentation.
I bring that longer view to producing with independent artists too.
Context
- Organization
- O.Dela Arts Society
- Artistic leadership
- Olivia C. Davies
- Program
- Matriarchs Uprising
- Brian's roles
- Grant and production support; Managing Producer, 2021–2024