Project Management
We Take The Fear Out Of Big Ideas
innovative re-purposing of buildings
working with arts organisations and local authorities to support creative innovations and creative industry sustainability
growing regenerative cultural infrastructures
Currently
AudioActive Worthing
As part of on-going support B&R Co-director Ian Ross guided the organisation through the acquisition and development of their unique new music hub with fully equipped music production suite, studio and office spaces and community café and venue. The operational model of a mixed economy enables the hub to be sustainable at the same time as offering young people free to access music sessions. Ian is now the strategic lead on development plans for AudioActive in Crawley.
“Ian provides high level business development consultancy and capital project development, instilling us with the skills and experience to continue such work in the longer term. Put simply, the impact of working with B&R Productions is most palpable in the growth and development of AudioActive over the last 10 years.”
Previously
2022
JV H.O.M.E.
On behalf of internationally renowned Jasmin Vardimon Company, led by Sadlers Wells associate artist, Jasmin Vardimon MBE, Ian Ross for B&R Productions in his capacity as Executive Director (2007-2023) led this £7 million Capital project funded by ACE, Kent County Council and Ashford Borough Council to create a bespoke creation and training space for dance in Ashford Kent.
Opened September 2022 as the culmination of a development and growth strategy which included brokering innovative partnerships with the commercial sector, successfully pivoting the company’s offer during COVID 19 to tour a VR dancework to McArthur Glen designer outlets and developing the company’s Creative Learning Programme.
“Ian’s integrity, care, emotional and conceptual investment led us, working alongside him, to achieve a great deal, as a business, and also as individuals.
JV HOME was only a dream and it’s now a reality, thanks to him and his incredible investment and commitment. I am forever grateful and wish him all the best for the future.”
“It is impossible to overstate the contribution that Ian Ross has made to Jasmin Vardimon Company during his time as Executive Director. Due to his leadership and dynamic partnership with Jasmin Vardimon, the company has developed from a small touring company with a rented office to a world leading dance theatre company, with internationally renowned education programmes and its own state of the art, purpose built creative space. Ian combines a keen entrepreneurial approach with a genuine commitment to and understanding of the importance of art and the creative process. These attributes, coupled with a wealth of leadership experience, a thorough understanding of the arts and cultural sector and a talent for business modelling make Ian an asset to any organisation.”
2016
Devonshire Collective
We consulted with Eastbourne Borough Council to develop a series of empty retail units into a thriving arts collective comprising makerspaces, gallery and café and workshop space. It is now home to Eastbourne Studio Pottery, DC Learn and VOLT Gallery. Read the tender here.
“The project is quickly becoming a key element of our regeneration work in the Devonshire Ward and I’m sure the excellent work you have done in setting it up on such a strong and sustainable basis will help this to continue into the future. We have already received very positive feedback from the community as well as local and regional stakeholders. In particular we were impressed by:
· The professionalism of the project team and the ability to overcome significant challenges
· Your skill in engaging with a wide community of arts practitioners and local businesses
· The capacity to balance differing objectives/constraints and to work with us as a local authority to manage and deliver the vision.”
2015
Iconic Beach Huts
B&R Productions were chosen to lead this design competition to enhance the Eastbourne seafront due to the level and quality of public engagement evidenced in our tender.
“The reality of having 5 unique, quirky winning designs is the result of B&R’s ability to quickly understand the concept, develop it and deliver a quality product. I’ve been particularly impressed in the way they bought a specialist team together, grasped an understanding of other important relevant disciplines and delivered against my outcomes. They gained national media attention, an international field of architect entries and galvanised the local community.”
2009
The School Creative Centre
B&R productions launched The School Creative Centre in the de-commissioned Freda Gardham School in 2009 and managed this vibrant arts hub comprising over 30 studio spaces, gallery, theatre, print room and workshop until 2014. Now known as Rye Creative Centre.
“Since B&R Productions launched The School Creative Centre I have been consistently impressed with the way in which a building which could have lain empty has been transformed into a mould-breaking initiative, celebrating and developing the arts. We have been proud to have been the council to facilitate this and to hear that other councils are looking to The School Creative Centre as a model to adopt.”