I’m an independent creative producer with over 10 years experience working across film, audio, theatre, digital arts, games, and more.
My work aims to use the arts and popular culture to affect change on urgent, timely social and political issues. I have a particular interest in work about human rights, the environment, animal rights, mental health, women’s rights, disability, democracy, technology, and justice.
Across my career, I’ve worked on a wide range of creative projects including short films, documentaries, experimental audio pieces, outdoor performance, festivals, artist development programmes, and national and international touring theatre work. I’ve delivered projects in partnership with charities including Amnesty International, HOPE not Hate, Mind, Addaction, and Age UK, and leading UK cultural institutions such as the BFI, BBC, Shoreditch Town Hall, Birmingham REP, and Royal Borough Gardens Kew.
My projects have earnt several awards, including the Deacon Award for Young Producer at the UK International Radio Drama Festival, and a nomination for Best Producer at the BAFTA-recognised Underwire Film Festival.
In 2016, I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to spend 6 weeks in the USA and 3 weeks in India researching how the arts can effectively combat and raise awareness of issues of social injustice. This learning has fed into my work since.
Looking ahead, my focus is turning towards impact producing, and I’m thrilled to have recently been awarded a DYCP grant from ACE to develop my skills in this area, and begin to introduce this film industry concept to the arts and theatre world.
I currently produce under my company This Little Rock, as well as for Upstart Theatre. I’ve been developing my slate of theatre projects with the support of an MGCfutures Bursary which I was awarded in 2018.
I’ve been a Trustee for imagine if Theatre Company since April 2017, and I’m also a volunteer Director of Professional Development for Young Arts Fundraisers where I run Evolve, our year-long professional development programme for early-career arts fundraisers.
Alongside this, I volunteer for Film Strike for the Climate, Arts Emergency, and several other non-arts related causes.
I previously served on the Youth Development Committee for Mousetrap Theatre Projects, and as a Project Manager for Young People in the Arts.
In 2021 I was one of 50 freelancers who formed part of the Mayor of London’s Creative Freelancers: Shaping London’s Recovery programme, run by Fuel Theatre. I was partnered with The Lyric. Our research and recommendations will be published soon.
I’m a fellow of the RSA, a BAFTA Connect member, an Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Fellow, and a member of the Documentary Film Council, and Shooting People.
If you need a producer or fundraiser and think your project would be the right fit for me, then please get in touch at hannah [at] thislittlerock [dot] com.
TRAINING & EDUCATION
Talent Development Programmes
- UK Next Wave Genre Lab (2024)
- Miles Ketley Memorial Fund recipient (2024)
- Getting Real ’24 BFI Doc Society Delegation
- IDFAcademy (2023)
- Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Fellowship (2023-24)
- Flex Development Hub, Screen Yorkshire & SIGN (2022-23)
- BAFTA Connect Member (2022-present)
- Developing Your Creative Practice Award, Arts Council England (2020)
- BFI Network x BAFTA Crew (2019/20 & 2021)
- BIFA Springboard Programme (2021)
- BIFA Mentoring Programme (2021-22)
- Media Trust & ScreenSkills’ 6-month Early-Stage Talent Mentoring Programme in partnership with ITV, mentored by Sonny Hanley and Deborah Stewart (2021)
- BFI Network & Film Hub South East’s Producers Programme led by Helen Simmons, Sophie Reynolds and Loran Dunn (2020)
- Digital Producer Farm, run by Fuel, Bristol Old Vic FERMENT, Coombe Farm Studios & Dance Umbrella (2020)
- TRC Media’s Advanced Learn to Lead Training, funded by ScreenSkills (2020)
- London Film Academy’s two-week intensive producing course, supported to attend by a bursary from ScreenSkills (2019)
- IETM’s Caravan Yekaterinburg, Russia (2019)
- RAISE & Young Arts Fundraisers‘ year-long Mentoring Programme, mentored by Emma Davidson (2019/20)
- The Clore Emerging Leaders Course (2016)
- British Council & Edfringe’s Emerging Producers Development Programme (2018)
- BFI & Film London’s London Calling Slate (2017)
- Roundhouse’s Festival Producing Course (2017)
- MGCfutures & York Theatre Royal’s Producer Training Day (2017)
- Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship to research how the arts can effectively combat and raise awareness about issues of social injustice in the USA and India (2016)
- Research trip to South Korea to learn about projection mapping from 30Days, in partnership with Robin Linde and funded by Arts Council England through the Artists’ International Development Fund (2016)
- Media Trust & Brilliant Arts’ Video and Digital Media Production Training Programme (2016)
- mac Birmingham’s Creative Producing Lab (2015)
- Stage One’s New Producers’ Workshop (2014)
- Management Training Programme, NFTS (2013)
- Warwick Leadership Scheme (2013)
Courses & Qualifications
- PGCert Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy, University of Leeds (as part of the Arts Fundraising and Philanthropy Fellowship)
- Inclusive Cultures, Clore Leadership
- First Option Level 3 Advanced Covid Supervisors Qualification (Feb 2021)
- ScreenSkills Covid Awareness on Production (Aug 2020 & refreshed Feb 2021)
- Measuring Social Impact, The School for Social Entrepreneurs
- Story-Based Inquiry Method & Finding Stories with Data, Centre for Investigative Journalism
- ESA Arts Sponsorship Certificate
- Decision Science Fundraising (2020)
- The De Vos Institute’s The Cycle Arts Management Online Course (2020)
- RAISE two-time bursary awardee to attend the Institute of Fundraising’s Cultural Sector Network Conference 2020 and Fundraising Convention 2020.
- NFTS Introduction to Production Accounting (2019)
- StoryFutures Academy Introductory Lab, NFTS (2019)
- Mental Health First Aider, supported by Rethink Mental Illness’ community places (2020)
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training with Elizabeth Balgobin (2021)
- BIFA Unconscious Bias Training (2020)
- ACCA Diploma in Accounting and Business (2017)
- Raindance Producer Foundation Certificate (2016)
- Supporting Neurodiverse Trainees, ScreenSkills & Claire Collins Consultancy (2021)
- BAFTA Albert Carbon Literacy Training (2019)
- City Lit’s Arts Administration Beginner & Intermediate Courses (2013)
- BA (Hons) 2:1 Philosophy and Literature, University of Warwick (2013)