SOUPing was a model of co-working developed by independent producers Emily Coleman, Ruth Dudman and Lucy Smith. It was designed to build skills, share knowledge and encourage camaraderie among independent producers.

With Arts Council funding, SOUPing became a research project and was taken on tour to meet and connect independent producers in Bristol, Brighton, Birmingham, London and Manchester.

As part of the research, Emily, Ruth and Lucy co-hosted two national Devoted and Disgruntled open space events bringing the sector together - event copy below:

The Invisible Army: How Do We Better Support Our Independent Producers? at the Young Vic, 27th March 2013

There’s been a surge in the number of exceptional people producing work independently, passionate individuals who are supporting an extraordinary number of artists whose work is reaching high numbers of audiences, across art forms and across the UK. 

And yet this army of hardworking individuals can feel invisible. All too often independent producers are under valued and under paid with limited opportunities for professional development and support.

This is an invitation to people in all roles working in the arts to discuss in an open space format the role of independent producers - how can we create support mechanisms that enable us to grow, thrive and make work happen?  How can we share best practice?  How can we advocate for ourselves and articulate our value to the wider arts ecology?

We want to talk about independent producing with artists, audiences, venues, funders, so that we can put actions in place to support our work better.

The Invisible Army 2: How Do We Better Support Our Independent Producers? at Dance City, 9th January 2015

Back in March 2013, we co-hosted “Devoted and Disgruntled: The Invisible Army” with indie producer Jo Hammett and Improbable at the Young Vic. There’s still more to say, so we’re bringing the discussion around Independent Producing to the North-East as Devoted and Disgruntled Allies.

It is brilliant that an increasing number of exceptional people are producing work independently –passionate people supporting an extraordinary number of artists whose work is reaching high numbers of audiences, across art forms and across the UK. And yet this growing army of hardworking individuals can still feel invisible. All too often independent producers are under valued and under paid with limited opportunities for professional development and support.

The Invisible Army event in 2013 was a great way to meet and start conversations. Almost two-years on (!) Invisible Army 2 is a chance to get together again, to continue talking, to reflect on what has happened since we last met; and to take stock of what’s going on today.

With thanks to the Arts Council England, the Young Vic, Dance City and Improbable.