Grace Dickson Productions encompasses the independent producing work of Grace Dickson, the company’s Executive Director & Creative Producer.
Grace Dickson Productions is a new company developing and producing formally innovative & bitingly relevant new writing that champions marginalised voices. GDP works collaboratively with artists on professional development as well as creating work that isn’t afraid to make a noise and ruffle some feathers.
We want to produce work that represents the world we live in and the worlds beyond it; work that is imaginative, playful and boundary-breaking.
From R&D through to full production, we hope to offer bespoke support to artists around their needs, ideas and processes. The privilege of producing is providing artists with the space and resource to focus on their work, and we like to collaborate with creatives from the start of a process in order to establish the journey that will work best for them and the production.
We prioritise inclusivity, generosity, communication and kindness in our work, and strive to champion these values in every process we’re involved in.
As well as producing work, which includes theatre, musicals, film and events, GDP provides a range of services in order to broaden our offer to artists, including general management, bid writing, consultancy and basic production accountancy.
We hope to form long-lasting creative relationships with freelance artists, and are always open to hearing from new creative collaborators, particularly artists from underrepresented backgrounds, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality & socioeconomic background. If you have a new project in need of a producer, are after some friendly producer advice, or just fancy a general natter with a fellow emerging creative – get in touch!
The first steps of setting up Grace Dickson Productions have been supported by a Developing Your Creative Practice application from Arts Council England.
(Credit: Lidia Crisafulli)
(Credit: Gav Smart)
(Credit: Cesare Di Giglio)
Grace Dickson
Company Director & Creative Producer
Grace is an award-winning Newcastle born, London based producer. She runs Grace Dickson Productions which in its first 9 months of operation, produced 17 exciting new projects with a diverse range of creatives, working with over 180 freelancers. Grace has recently begun working as Associate Producer at Francesca Moody Productions. She is also Company Producer for Lagahoo Productions and THESE GIRLS. Grace is a recipient of a Stage One Bursary and an Arts Council England’s DYCP grant.
Grace is Accounts Assistant & Bookkeeper at Runaway Entertainment working on a number of West End and No.1 touring productions, alongside which she is training for her AAT Accounting qualifications. She is also working as Associate Producer for multiple socially engaged organisations including REcreate Agency, Park Theatre, Freight Theatre and Rhum + Clay.
Grace holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Edinburgh and an MA in Creative Producing with Distinction from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, where she now tutors.
She was previously Assistant Producer to Ellie Claughton with whom she worked for award-winning political touring companies Breach (It’s True, It’s True, It’s True; Joan of Leeds), LUNG (Trojan Horse; Who Cares) and Barrel Organ (Conspiracy). She was also General Manager of Rhum + Clay and Production Coordinator at LIVE General Management, and has worked with Improbable, Global Musicals, Target Live, Premier Comms and Burn Bright.
You can get in touch with Grace on grace@gracedicksonproductions.co.uk
Rory Thomas-Howes
Assistant Producer
Rory Thomas-Howes is a queer producer and playwright trained at East 15 Acting School. His work often examines contemporary issues from underrepresented voices, particularly the LGBTQ+ community. He has been longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, shortlisted for the Sit Up Award and the Vault Five 2021, and has won an Off West End Commendation and Theatre Weekly’s Best of Fringe Award. He produced two sell-out shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2019 and is currently working on projects for the Soho Theatre, the Pleasance, The Bridge House Theatre and a UK tour of his debut play A Partnership.
You can get in touch with Rory on assistantproducer@gracedicksonproductions.co.uk
Lizzie Manwaring
Associate Director
Lizzie is a British/American director who grew up in Germany and trained on Birkbeck’s MFA in Theatre Directing where she was Resident Assistant Director at Hampstead Theatre. Directing credits include: Bible John (Ed. Fringe 2019 and Vaults Festival 2020 – *Pleasance Charlie Hartill Recipient), The Woman Who Gave Birth To A Goat (Camden People’s Theatre), WAGGO (Ed. Fringe 2017) and And Then… (Latitude Festival). Assistant Directing credits include: Maria Stuart (Schauspiel Stuttgart), The Two-Character Play (Hampstead Theatre), The Dumb Waiter (Hampstead Theatre), The Tyler Sisters (Hampstead Downstairs), Unknown Rivers (Hampstead Downstairs), Too Clever By Half (Rose Bruford) and A New and Better You (The Yard). Lizzie is a reader for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwrighting.
Lizzie manages all scripts and submissions to GDP.
You can get in touch with Lizzie on hello@gracedicksonproductions.co.uk
Lagahoo Productions
Grace is the Company Producer for Lagahoo Productions, which she founded alongside the company’s Artistic Director, Emily Aboud in 2019.
Lagahoo Productions is an award-winning London-based theatre company, who formed to fill a gap in representation, and to create formally innovative new writing for and by Caribbean people, with a focus on queer and diverse work. The Caribbean, unfortunately, has a tendency to be sexist and openly homophobic; on the other hand, it is a region of pride and celebration. A New Diorama Theatre Emerging Company and Soho Theatre Young Company, we make work that celebrates the magic of being Caribbean, challenging colonial and sexist conventions, all while empowering those who are bound in the shackles of colonial values. Caribbean culture is a magical combination of many cultures – rooted in sadness but universally sharing joy. Our work reflects this – our art must be political, else it is conservative.
Find out more about Lagahoo’s work here
