Come and spend a day learning the ins and outs of production management with some of Melbourne’s most experienced Production Managers.

The morning session will include a panel discussion with Michele Preshaw and Anna Schoo who will share their experiences, hot tips and tricks of the trade. We will also discuss the important distinction between producing and production management.

In the afternoon we will break into smaller groups for focused discussion, diving deeper into different areas of production management.

This session is suitable for people starting out as production managers, tech crew who want to broaden their skills or anyone in the theatre who wants to know more about these wizards of organisational and problem solving. There will also be lots of time for questions so bring them along.

Michele Preshaw is a highly experienced Production Manager for live theatre, events and festivals and has been involved in the Industry for the past thirty five years. She is currently employed by Melbourne Theatre Company as Senior Production Manager and has been full-time with the organisation for the last thirteen years.

Prior to Melbourne Theatre Company Michele worked at The CUB Malthouse for over ten years when Playbox Theatre was resident as lighting technician then Production Manager. She then freelanced for a number of years as both lighting designer, stage manager and/or production manager for such companies as Chamber Made Opera; Christine Dunstan Productions; Ilbijerri Theatre; Blak Arm Band and the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Michele then worked as General Manager while also being the resident lighting designer for Folsom Prison Productions and Bold Jack Theatre, companies that developed and produced Narrative Concerts, the most successful being The Man in Black, The Johnny Cash Story starring Tex Perkins. Michele and her husband then created Wander Productions of which she was again General Manger, Production Manager and occasionally Lighting Designer. Some of their most critically successful productions were with Max Gillies AM, Colin Friels and Eddie Raynor. Michele trained at the WA Academy of Performing Arts and graduated with a Diploma in Production and Design (Major Lighting Design). She also holds a Degree in Communication and Cultural Studies from Curtin University.

Anna Schoo is a producer and arts professional with broad ranging practice, including programming and producing for experimental and mainstream contexts, as well as extensive business and production management experience. Varying widely in scale and sector, her work has included being the program manager for the inaugural White Night Melbourne, programming the inaugural festival for The School of Life Australia, programming NYE celebrations for the City of Melbourne, being part of many delivery teams for The Melbourne Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Dark Mofo, and Garden of Unearthly Delights (Adelaide Fringe Festival), and has been on the road for many years as part of several large-scale touring productions. She holds a postgraduate degree in performance creation from the VCA, was the Creative Producer for rural NSW based experimental arts company The Wired Lab from 2017-2024, has been a member of Field Theory since 2011, and is on the Board of A is for Atlas. Current roles include being the Executive Producer for companies Born in a Taxi and Strange Engine. Anna focuses on supporting Australian contemporary creative practice, and chooses work that extends her, emphasising the local and creating positive change.

Date: Sunday, 27 April 2025, 10am - 4pm
Location: Brunswick Mechanics Institute, 270 Sydney Road, Brunswick Victoria 3056

Please note that there will be a lunch break during the session. Participants will need to provide their own lunch, water bottle and snacks.

Contact the host of Production Management Seminar