The recommendations were developed based on a dialogue meeting held by UP in collaboration with Danish Theatre on 19 November 2024. Here, a number of independent producers and theatres discussed experiences, challenges and opportunities in creating stronger and more equal collaborations on co-productions.
Here you will find a number of recommendations for collaboration when you as an independent artist or producer are to enter into a co-production with an institutional theatre and suggestions for best practice.
The full report from the dialogue meeting at UP can be read here (in Danish).
Key conclusions from UP's dialogue meeting on good co-productions
Co-productions between independent artists or producers and institutional theatres create both artistic and financial synergy, meaning that both parties can achieve benefits that could not be achieved alone.
Artistic synergy occurs when institutions and artists work together to develop a work, which can enrich the artistic process and make room for more innovative and risk-taking works.
Economic synergy means sharing resources, funding and knowledge, which can make performances more financially sustainable - or allow productions to be realised that were not possible to fund alone.
For the co-production to succeed, it's important that both parties have a clear understanding of each other's terms and expectations. How finances, responsibilities and artistic freedom are handled must be harmonised so that everyone feels comfortable and engaged in the process.
Successful collaboration is based on mutual respect and understanding of the conditions of both artists and institutions, including power balances and resources.
It is essential that both parties feel they have equal influence on decisions, both artistically and financially.
This requires institutions to be open to listening to artists' needs and wishes, while taking responsibility for the resources and framework they offer.
It also requires artists to gain insight into and understand the reality and limitations of the institutions.
Equality is about ensuring a balance of power. Good collaboration happens when there is a mutual understanding of how artistic and financial differences can complement each other instead of creating conflict.
There is a need for clear definitions of what a co-production entails and clarification of responsibilities, finances and artistic freedom from the start.
It is important that both parties have a common understanding of what their involvement in the production entails and what they can expect from each other. To ensure transparency, both financial agreements and artistic decision-making processes should be clearly articulated and agreed upon from the start. This will create a foundation of trust and ensure that both parties have realistic expectations of each other.
Strengthening dialogue and developing concrete tools for process and decision management is crucial to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings. Developing a contract checklist and agreement template can ensure that all relevant issues are addressed from the start.
Dialogue and bridge-building are essential to ensure successful co-productions between the independent performing arts field and institutional theatres. Through close and open dialogue, both artistic and financial goals can be reconciled, and power balances and responsibilities can be aligned from the start. Transparency and mutual respect are the basis for strong collaborations, and clear agreements and tools are necessary to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings in the process.
There was dialogue and division of responsibilities and tasks
A close and transparent collaboration where both parties actively contributed and responsibilities were clearly defined. This approach created a strong foundation for a successful partnership.
Shared strategy – shared responsibility and shared risk
Both parties agreed on a common strategy and shared both responsibility and risk in the process, which strengthened the collaboration and helped achieve the desired results.
Artistic sparring from the co-producing theatre
Active artistic sparring from the co-producing theatre has been an important part of the collaboration, resulting in a stronger artistic process and a better end product.
Joint tour planning and contact with venues
Close collaboration on tour planning and coordination with venues has provided an efficient and smooth process for the distribution of the production, which has facilitated the practical execution of the co-production.
Co-funding
Both parties have actively participated in securing funding for the project, enabling a sustainable co-production and ensuring that financial challenges did not hamper the artistic ambitions.
The suggestions below were made by the participants at the dialogue meeting at UP in November 2024. The suggestions are both larger wishes for joint efforts between performing arts institutions and the independent field and suggestions that you as an independent performing arts producer can find inspiration in when entering into co-productions.
Suggestions for best practice – developed by the participants of the dialogue meeting at UP
A standardised contract checklist and agreement template can be used to ensure transparency on finances, responsibilities and process. The checklist and template should include clear definitions of the collaboration and concrete expectations. Such templates should be developed.
A process tool can be developed for decision-making and conflict resolution that ensures focus on both artistic and practical aspects.
Collaboration principles can be agreed with a focus on equality, transparency and sustainable working conditions, possibly inspired by the values of the Fair Practice Code, as seen in the Netherlands, and the Danish Composers' Association's study of a code for art and culture.
Workshops can be organised between collaborators at the start of co-productions to build common understanding and trust.
The recommendations below were developed by the participants at the dialogue meeting at UP in November 2024 and represent visions for joint efforts between funders, performing arts institutions and the independent field and proposals. As an independent performing arts producer, you can find inspiration in the recommendations when entering into co-productions.
Visions and recommendations for future collaborations - prepared by the participants of the dialogue meeting at UP
The scene must work together to change framework agreements and requirements from funders to better support co-productions and create greater flexibility for both institutions and artists.
Institutions are encouraged to actively seek out artists through open calls and partnerships that promote reciprocity and inclusion.
Publicise information about institutional budgets and priorities to ensure greater transparency and alignment of expectations. An insight into each other's financial realities can prevent an image of ‘them and us’.
Focus on building lasting relationships between the independent field and institutions, including annual dialogue meetings to evaluate and improve collaborations.
An expanded focus on measuring artistic impact and community impact, including the development of a methodology for measuring this.
In the spring of 2025, UP and Danish Theatre will put together a working group from the independent field and institutional theatres, which together will develop a contract checklist, agreement template, and collaboration principles that recognise the wishes of both parties.
UP and Danish Theatre will also invite selected theatres and independent field actors to an evaluation meeting at the end of 2026 to discuss the results of the tools. This will be followed by a knowledge-sharing meeting between Danish Theatre, UP and relevant foundations based on the experiences of both parties after using the tools.