BMP: Producer Academy

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Our Story

The BMP: Producer Academy was born out of a need to nurture, develop, and support rising producers and arts administrators in the live performance industry. The next generation of Producers must be flexible, agile, resourceful, and ready to act as a support system for an entire production at a moment’s notice. BMP wants to be a part of that journey.

BMP: Producer Academy identifies and mentors the next generation of creative producers and administrators, and has served over 900 students in 17 different countries in its first season.

BMP has been awarded a $485,000 grant, over three years, from the Mellon Foundation to support the development of the BMP: Producer Academy.

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Curriculum

Have you ever wondered what goes into producing new works? Learn the tricks of the trade from the experts at BMP: Producer Academy. The Academy will demystify the production process. From having a great idea to opening night to touring and more, we’ll help you form concrete skills to develop and produce new performance works.

The 8-week course will be online and starts October 18 and ends December 17, with a week off in November. Each week will require attendance at a lecture and Q&A session on Tuesday & Thursday (up to 3 hours; subject to change), with additional early evening happy hours and networking sessions over the course of the 8 weeks. There will be 5 homework assignments that will each require 3-5 hours and need to be submitted in a timely fashion. Additional mentorship sessions will be scheduled after the 8-week program, after the New Year.

This 8-week course includes:
• Instruction from industry experts in budget development, fundraising planning & execution, how to tour a show, pitching work to presenters, and production vocabulary & definitions;
• One-on-one mentoring with experienced creative producers;
• Networking opportunities with professional producers and presenters in the industry;
• Feedback on pitch materials and projects by high level industry presenters.

In addition to the Academy course, 3 BMP Fellowships will be created for 2023 (1) and 2024 (2) that will be open to any individual who completes an 8-week session of BMP: Producer Academy. The 1-year, salaried Fellowships ($50,000 plus health insurance) will fill the role of an Associate Producer, assisting in the areas of:

• Development;
• Producing and touring;
• Fundraising;
• General management;
• Production.

At the conclusion of the 1-year fellowship, BMP is committed to helping the Fellow find sustained, gainful employment in producing for the performing arts. The Fellows will be selected through a separate application and interview process with qualified alumni.

BMP faculty includes Beth Morrison, Sam Linden, Kim Whitener, Roderick Murray, Carlos Diaz Stoop, and other leading colleagues in the Opera and performance industry.

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Meet the 2022 Participants

25 participants have been selected from nearly 350 applicants to join this program, with full-scholarships funded by the Mellon Foundation, which awarded a $485,000 grant to support the development of the BMP: Producer Academy for the next three years. BMP’s mission is to assemble a multifaceted cohort of producers with not only artistic and producing aspirations but larger goals to impact the performing arts field as a whole. A finalist group of 42 candidates were interviewed to narrow down to the 25 chosen participants. The field of applicants was highly impressive and competitive, and ultimately demonstrates an enormous desire and need for the kind of nuts and bolts training that BMP: Producer Academy provides.

“We are so proud of the group of arts practitioners who have joined the Producer Academy, which includes producers from opera, theater and musical theater, dance and interdisciplinary performance, as well as those whose work defies current perceptions of genre. Members of the cohort range from practicing artists wishing to self-produce their own work, to founders of artist collectives, to producers exploring new and dynamic ways of creating and presenting contemporary performance. They hail from seven countries across four continents, eleven states, and represent the diversity of gender identity, age, race/ethnicity, diverse abilities and geography that is necessary for a truly relevant and impactful performing arts sector.” -Kim Whitener

Learn More

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BMP: Producer Academy Portal

If you’re a participant of the BMP: Producer Academy and need to get access to course materials, homework submissions, and more, you’re in the right place!

ENTER THE PORTAL