We’re delighted to release the first micro-research project from our 2025 Artist-Producer Lab cohort. Dive in to see what Josh Marchesini has been exploring.
Graphic design by Oliver Pitschner
Working on Overdrive
The Enigma of Producing a Festival
Introduction
There comes a point when working on or running a performing arts festival where your brain goes into overdrive. Deadlines changing, projects shifting scope and the constant pursuit of a “successful” festival. My research project, as part of Generator’s 2025 Artist-Producer Lab, focuses on the enigma of a festival, because no one festival is like the other. As a festival producer, the need to take an intermediary position emerges: between artists and institutions, between Canadian and international artists/audiences, and between different views of what “Canadian” art looks like on our stages. In contrast to other performing arts producers, festival producers face specific challenges in producing a festival: they operate in a specific time, energy and cadence that they know best as the knowledge keeper of that enigma. The overarching question is this: What does it mean to produce a festival and ensure one’s physical and mental health is cared for, avoiding burnout and establishing sustainability and care for both the festival producer and the festival?
This research question also comes from my experience working at different theatre festivals in Montreal and Toronto, speaking to the assumption that working in the arts requires unpaid and/or overtime labour, which can come at a personal cost. (Frankly, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve burned out since entering the arts in 2019.) This article features five festival producers working in some of our major cities across Canada:
Ludmylla Reis, Festival Director for Rhubarb! Festival, as part of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (Toronto)
María Escolán, Festival Producer for the 2024 RUTAS International Festival of Performance and the 2025 CAMINOS Festival of New Works, as part of Aluna Theatre (Toronto)
Kafi Pierre, Producer at TO Live (Toronto)
Shannon Corenthin, Producer of the 2025 Club Zed Festival, as part of Black Theatre Workshop (Montreal)
Kelly Li, Managing Producer at Prismatic Festival (Halifax)
Lindsay Nelson, Producer at PuSh International Performing Arts Festival (Vancouver)
I hope this conversation helps imagine how arts workers could and should take care of themselves and the artists they work with.
If you had to describe producing as a meal, what would it be? Why?
ME: Like a meal prep where there are various ‘departments,’ like if it was pupusas there’s a beans department, the cheese department, the curtido department, the salsa department and the masa department - all essential - where each needs to be cared for so when they come together in the pupusas it’s amazing.
SC: Producing would definitely be a Christmas meal. There are a bunch of components that need to come together from various sources and outside forces (vendors and participants) who are either bringing sides or asking for different sides. It's wonderful when it all comes together, but the planning and executing process is an exercise in patience and organization.
KL: Perhaps it’s my Cantonese heritage speaking, but I would suggest dim sum as a comparison. Shared family-style, dim sum comprises a large array of small but highly intricate dishes that range widely in texture, flavour, temperature, and ingredients. Translated literally from Chinese, 點心 means to “touch the heart,” and this spirit reflects the degree of care put into the devising and execution of each bite of food. Most dishes involve a great deal of labour and technique, and include elements for which preparation begins days in advance. All of this comes together and ends up on your table as a harmonious meal, meant to be enjoyed slowly alongside conversation and tea.
LN: Producing is like eating dim sum with a group of friends. You’re all there together with shared resources (the amount of money in your wallet and the kind of dishes that are being offered), working towards a common goal (filling your belly with delicious food), but everyone has a different idea of what dishes are important, and everyone eats a different amount of food. The servers come around with different dishes and you must work as a team to decide when you need more dumplings, or if that’s too many pork buns, and you’re hoping you come in within budget when it’s all over.
KP: Producing a festival is like preparing a large, multi-course holiday family feast, like Thanksgiving. There are many ingredients, countless moving parts, and a need for precise timing yet the heart of the meal lies in the collaboration. A producer acts like the head chef, coordinating the menu, delegating tasks, balancing flavors, and ensuring that each dish complements the next. When done well, it becomes a shared experience complex, nourishing, and deeply communal.
LR: Either a five-course meal, which is a whole journey, and you eat one plate at a time, and at the end, you are satisfied and tired. Or maybe my favourite answer: a buffet, a self-serve hot pot, or something like that. It's a self-knowing experience to go to hot pot, really. Because you gotta know how hungry you are, decide what you're eating based on your desire. You have to make a series of small and big decisions in there. Are we going veggie? Are we going tomato broth? Is my tummy sick, and should I get something lighter? Should I get 700 grams? Should I get 300 grams? There's a lot of scope management there.
How do you practice caring for your mental and physical health in the lead up, during and after producing a festival?
LR Something that I got good at by training, I chose to be better at it, and it's really important to me, it's scope. It’s figuring out how much can be done with what we have, and then sticking to it, or adapting things, but still staying within the possible, within these resources. I feel like a lot of times, things get out of hand this way. Clearly, all you can do is a double espresso, but you really want a large Americano. It's not gonna happen.
So to me, my strategy has always been scope management. If this is what it is, this is how much we can do, and then we're gonna knock it out of the park within the scope. But we're not going to grow this scope, because that's unachievable.
KL: I think most people who work for festivals have accepted that the work is seasonal by nature and that during festival time, work may take over life. I consider this part of the deal and look to the rest of the year to find balance through the cycles of workload. By ensuring that my mental and physical health are well cared for outside of festival time, I’m much more capable of maintaining health during the busy weeks and emerging (mostly) unscathed at the end.
A couple years ago at Prismatic, we instituted a four-day work week, which goes a very long way in supporting work-life balance year-round. Following the festival, we close the office for a week. Making sure we have enough time off does the lion’s share for health, but actually taking that time off is vital. As commonly advised (though rarely adhered to), not working outside of work hours really does help tremendously.
During festival time, I find that relying on short routines for getting ready and decompressing helps to reduce mental load. I’ve started bringing snacks because remembering and finding time to eat can be hard, and eating out too much doesn’t feel good mentally or physically. It cannot be overstated how important it is to look out for your team, and to let others look out for you – covering each other to allow for more rest, making time to debrief together, being honest about how you’re doing.
SC: I have yet to find the optimal way to take care of my mental and physical health during and after producing a festival. It’s very time consuming and there are so many moving pieces. I would say, I try to implement an “end of work day” time and log out of my email at 4:30pm (which is the end of the workday for our organization). However, especially for the festival, emergencies usually happen last minute and as a producer you are the holder of most, if not all, of the information. What I definitely do is take time off after the festival to recharge and step away. Most post-production elements can either be done quickly or wait for a few days.
KP: Caring for my mental and physical health is a continuous practice that shifts throughout the festival cycle: In the lead-up, I focus on structured planning, realistic scheduling, and early delegation. I build in buffer time wherever possible so crises feel manageable rather than overwhelming. I also try to maintain exercise, sleep, and moments of quiet to stay centered. During the festival, I aim to stay attuned to my own energy levels. I take short breaks when needed, step away for a few minutes to reset, and stay hydrated and fed (even when the schedule is intense). I also check in regularly with staff, both to support them and to model the type of care I expect throughout the team. After the festival, I intentionally decompress. I rest, reflect, and create space to process what went well and what can be improved with the team and with myself. This recovery period is essential. It allows me to return to the work with clarity, gratitude, and renewed capacity.
ME: In the lead up, I mentally prepare for the longer hours, go grocery shopping for more than usual to last me through as much of the festival, sleep well and plan ahead when my first days off will be after the production - I aim for asap after the festival, when we don’t actually need to be on or standing by all day anymore. During the festival I make sure I don't skip meals, sometimes I cut out caffeine or sometimes I have it as a daily treat and I sleep as much as I can when I finally can. It also helps that I really enjoy the festivals themselves; I find all the art, connecting, and celebrating really energizing and the whole reason we worked so hard in the lead up. Afterwards I really log off, silence notifications and go into a total rest mode :) I also think having a good producing team that can be honest and caring together really, really helps at every stage of the producing process.
LN: I see festival producing as a year-long marathon that ends in a sprint. The more I prepare throughout the year, the better chance I have of making it through the last 2 months without burning out. Doing as much as I can early on means less last minute work, which gives me the time and mental space to deal with those fires that flare up. I practice physical and mental health care throughout the year, so that in the rush of the festival, and the month leading up to it, it’s already second nature. This includes things like hydrating regularly, staying active to build stamina, being gentle with myself when mistakes are made, finding small moments to fill my cup. I make good use of some tips that have been passed down to me - prep and freeze individual meals before the festival, carry individual packets of electrolyte powder for my water bottle, and when I need a boost, find a space, play a good song and dance for two minutes. Post festival I try to listen to what my body and brain need, I try to be gentle, and I recharge by spending time alone in the woods or with friends I haven’t been able to see.
Festival producers can be seen as intermediaries between artists and “institutions.” What is the core value or values you embody in this role as intermediary and producer?
KP: As a producer navigating between artists and institutions, the core values I embody include: Integrity – ensuring transparency, honesty, and clear communication in all directions. Advocacy – championing the needs, visions, and wellbeing of artists, while balancing institutional expectations. Especially when working with underserved communities. Care – cultivating environments where people feel safe, supported, and respected. Access – working to ensure that processes, opportunities, and resources are distributed fairly. Most importantly, collaboration – fostering relationships built on trust, partnership, and shared purpose. These values guide every interaction and decision I make. They ensure that both artists and institutions feel heard, respected, and aligned, ultimately strengthening the festival’s foundation and making the work more sustainable for everyone involved.
SC: Producers have their own core artistic values and also, when working within or for an institution, are made to be representatives of an institution to the artists. As a producer you want to provide the best experience for the artists who are participating in your festival whether that be by teaching, performing or being audience members. I think I separate it in two in my head: before the festival, I’m prioritizing the institution’s goals and needs, and during the festival, I’m prioritizing the artists and their experience. All the while keeping the mission of the festival in mind. I try to be fair, realistic, and open to the needs of both the artists and the institution throughout the festival to ensure we have a smooth experience.
ME: I think it’s mainly care and honest connections, with the goal of giving artists as much information as possible to make decisions along the way, asking about their needs and accommodating those as much as possible, communicating the needs and processes of the institutions that I work with, explaining anything that might be unclear so we all know why some processes are required, and keeping communication channels open.
LR: Well, being a festival producer for Rhubarb! has a rare specificity, because I'm both curator and producer, so I define who those artists are, and then I also manage the process with them. And then I'm inviting them to be at Buddies and engage with that organization. And so, there is… an alignment of all these roles that I specifically have to navigate to determine how that experience will be. And I think in many ways, perhaps even because of the size of Rhubarb! and the way the flow works, it makes sense that I am the curator and producer, because… It can be a bit of a scope challenge… Perhaps, a good way for me to start talking about that is thinking about the hiring process for the role itself and how there needs to be clarity in the conversation between you and the institution about what those values are, as much as what your skills are. So, there is a check-in on you know… can you do all the practical things a festival director needs to do? Can you write the grants, can you project manage? Can you curate?
LN: As an international festival, we have artists from all over the globe. Different cultures have different ways of working, with different values, methods of communication, and speeds of work. Artists may not have as much experience touring internationally, or may have varying levels of support behind them. Listening to them, and moving forward with curiosity, respect, and a desire to creatively problem solve is how I try to bridge the gap between the artist’s needs and desires, and my “institution’s” deadlines and budget lines.
KL: Racialized artists [Prismatic is mandated to present Indigenous artist and artist of colour] are very frequently expected to be mouthpieces for whatever worldviews or ideologies people want reflected back at them, and it is critically important that this expectation doesn’t exist here.
In presenting the art and in working with the artists, I try to afford as much care as possible. They trust us with their work; oftentimes they are also traveling great distances in order to be with us and to share with our audiences. We owe it to them to be attentive to their work and their experience, even if there is lots else going on. This includes personal needs and cultural protocols, which, in mainstream settings, racialized artists are rarely given the space to express.
Reflections
The producer plays a crucial role in a festival, no matter the time length, size or scope. This article, I hope, demonstrates the hard work and various ways we can practice care in producing artistic work. I hope that future research can develop a written and visual history of performing arts festivals in Canada and archive the work carried out by producers working behind the scenes. As festivals program for future years, I hope that the reader can look to support these producers and festivals as sites for celebration, dialogue and cultural diplomacy across the country and on the world stage.