pvp’s 10 year roadmap

We are

scrupulously principled, proudly nimble,
and commercially & artistically ambitious

Over the next decade, PVP aims to become a leading force in producing and managing theatrical work with integrity, driven by a commitment to people as much as to profit. It should be innovating to make excellent shows with a 21st century mindset; performances that are of great worth to artists, investors and audience members alike.

After 14 years ‘in the biz’, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how the industry functions and the way I want to exist inside it. The 10-year roadmap is a route to the company I want to helm.

For anyone who works with PVP, they’re essential principles. But they aren’t achievable overnight, so they’re also manifestations. Objectives and ambitions to reach by the end of 2035. It’s a plan of action, yes, but also a declaration for how I think a producer should be.

I’ve expanded a little on what this means below, but this is the start of a conversation, not the conclusion of it. Each autumn I plan to revise and review, ensuring we haven’t veered off course and keeping it all up to date with how the industry develops.

In reality, a lot of companies do a lot of this already, but in the commercial sector few seem to be front-footed about communicating it. I think it can only help, not hinder, our work to be more forthright about the things we stand for and the way we intend to make work.

I’ve also launched a Substack newsletter where I plan to break down the roadmap and also discuss the parts of theatre producing that might not always be seen by the other artists and stakeholders on a show. Please do take a look and share it with anyone who might be interested!

These statements are also an invitation to hold PVP accountable. Tell us when we aren’t on-track; celebrate with us when we hit a milestone. If they inspire something in your own practice, let us know. You can’t make theatre in a vacuum, it’s collaborative by its very nature, so any success we have is success for every single person we engage with.

Finally, every word of this relies on investment. I don’t have generational wealth or a large stable of investors guaranteed to back each project - if any of this is going to become a reality then we need people willing to stake their money on it too. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can read more here.

Paul

We are…

  • Scrupulously Principled

    We treat people as human beings and not as cogs in a machine, engaging meaningfully with workers, audiences and investors in a way that treats each individual as a key contributor, and never reduces them to their perceived financial value.

    We prioritise the least enfranchised, whether you can only afford a £10 ticket or you’re just learning the ropes.

    We are committed to working towards a thriving wage for everyone, not just those with the best unions or profiles.

    We more equitably divide the proceeds of successful projects while also rewarding the risk individuals make to get the work on.

    We treat HR as a forethought, not an afterthought, with a firm commitment to safe, inclusive working environments.

    We are focused on diversifying the class background of staff and audiences.

    We pay attention to who our collaborators are, weighing up carefully where we take money from and who we choose to platform.

    Our focus is on human art; we do not engage with work created by artificial intelligence.

  • Proudly Nimble

    We capitalise on our background in subsidised and commercial, large-scale and small-scale, site-specific and site-indifferent, high budget and no budget work to treat every project as its own enterprise.

    We always remain liberated from any creeping sense of status quo: “this is how it’s done” is never a good enough reason.

    We adapt to each project’s goals and don’t force them to fit a predefined mould that doesn’t make creative or business sense.

    We utilise learnings equally and without prejudice of profit or prestige: leveraging the ingenuity of smaller projects and the commitment to excellence of larger work in tandem.

    We adapt and refine every step of the way - when it doesn’t go as planned, when it goes better than expected, when it takes longer than anticipated to happen.

    We aren’t tied down to a single genre, scale or realm of work, our only shackle is creating the highest quality experience for workers, investors and audiences alike.

  • Commercially & Artistically Ambitious

    We would rather try and stumble than never press ‘go’.

    We learn from work that challenges ‘traditional’ models, collaborate with venues on novel ways to present theatre innovatively, and love to reimagine projects that have been written off as ‘tricky’, ‘unpopular’ or ‘failed’.

    Every project we take on should have a multi-year plan, never tied down to one specific path.

    We explore new routes for funding and leverage investors’ expertise by involving them in the process.

    We build on the talents of every person involved in the show’s journey, no matter their prior experience, and invite input from everyone.

    We’re transparent about where the money goes and why.

    We recognise that commercial, ethical and artistic success are not at odds with each other but instead work in harmony to create profitable, exciting work that delights audiences who want to return again and again and again.