Event Producer

The moment before a performance begins is filled with tension for both those on stage and in the audience but for Jamie Dawson it’s the best moment of all because he can see all his hard work paying off.

In his role as Executive Producer of the 1800-seat venue the Carriageworks at Redfern, Dawson, 36, oversees up to 20 events and festivals each year. Some last just a few hours while other events are staged over a period of weeks.

“The whole event is my responsibility,” says Dawson. This includes marketing and production, working with artistic directors and acting as a trouble shooter on the day of a performance.

“Guaranteed there are things that go wrong. If an artist gets sick we need to respond to that so that there’s no loss of entertainment.” Other last-minute setbacks include missing props and tardy performers.

While the bulk of Dawson’s work is done before the show starts, he describes hanging around to see the gig through is “the exciting part of what we do.”

“Not being here would just seem wrong.  Live events are fantastic; they have a lot of personality.”

It took a career back-flip for Dawson to realise his potential in the creative arts. After finishing school, he enrolled in a law degree at the University of Queensland but chose not to pursue a legal career when he realised he “didn’t enjoy it that much.”

“I got a job in the university theatre and found out that environment was really where I belonged.”

After graduation, Dawson set about gaining experience in the performing arts by taking on any role on offer.

“I figured out early on that if I wanted to stay successfully employed in the entertainment industry I needed to be very flexible,” he says.

He worked his way through roles as a lighting designer, production manager and film editor to gain experience within the industry, gradually turning voluntary work into paid jobs.

“I attached myself to a bunch of creative people and learned from the ground up,” says Dawson.

Finally making it onto the payroll was a career breakthrough. “The first time I was paid to produce a production after soldiering along for some time was amazing.”

While a law background isn’t necessary for event producing, the skills he learned while studying law come in handy “almost daily”, particularly when dealing with performer contracts and artistic copyright matters.

“Learning those research and analytical skills is a great thing too,” he adds.

In the absence of a law degree, studying event management, directing or producing at university or college would also be a good start, but Dawson says on the job experience and networking are also highly valued for those starting out.

“If you’re creative from the outset and able to be a little bit bold about meeting people, you can develop the skills by doing that.”

After Dawson’s initial breakthrough, he gained broad industry experience, travelling as far as Scotland to work as a film-maker in the not-for-profit sector.

Being able to be flexible and adapt to different environments was a big help when it came to securing ongoing work, while the diversity of work on offer ensures the work is never boring. “Festivals tend to be more contract-based positions so you don’t exhaust yourself that quickly.”

After returning to Australia Dawson took up several contract roles including producer at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre before being invited to apply for the position at Carriageworks by the CEO. His strong relevant experience and working knowledge of the events process helped him land the role.

“I was quite lucky that I’d worked in community development, and I had a unique set of skills that lead me to that position.”

Carriageworks produces its own events and also works with external directors and producers looking for a space for their project.

One of Dawson’s next big challenges is to coordinate the Platform 3 hip hop festival, which will be held at Carriageworks on March 19 and 20.

Pulling together an event of that scale takes serious preparation and planning. Dawson worked alongside Artistic Director Nick Power to put together a program that had broad appeal. The two-day festival will include dance classes, a kids breaking battle, performances from MCs, beatboxing and a first night launch party.

Dawson says the event is not just for hip hop professionals. “It has an amazing demographic, from hip hop artists and interested kids right up to grandmas and grandpas.”

“It is really a showcase environment and everyone is welcome.”

While working through numerous entry-level jobs, Dawson always had one goal in his mind. “I feel I’ve always been working towards being a director and a producer.”

While he has now achieved that goal, he still sees many opportunities to grow his career in the future.

“I’d love to run a film festival [such as] the Edinburgh film festival.”

“I think I’ll keep going and work on bigger and better projects. If I could do this for the rest of my life I’d do it.”