Young creatives knowledge pool

The performing arts are, by their very nature, collaborative. They exist in the spaces between people — between artist and audience, between local context and international exchange, between creative impulse and the systems that sustain it. The Young Creatives Incubation Program was founded upon this spirit of connection: to offer emerging producers, managers, and artists an environment to learn from each other, to share knowledge across borders, and to build a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable performing arts ecosystem. This Knowledge Pool grew out of the participants’ shared desire to document and exchange what they have learned along this journey. Rather than a handbook in the traditional sense, it is a mosaic of perspectives — lived experiences, reflections, and practical insights — written by those actively shaping the future of the independent performing arts sector. Each contribution offers a personal entry point into the complex field of international management, touching on essential aspects such as production workflows, marketing and communication strategies, programming models, guest management, and the balance between artistic and administrative practice. Through these pages, readers encounter the realities of building a career in a transnational landscape. The Next Stage Project, supported by the Creative Europe Programme, exists to strengthen the independent performing arts field by fostering exchange and professional development. This publication continues that mission, turning individual experience into shared knowledge. It invites young producers, managers, and artists to learn from one another — and to recognize that international collaboration begins not with systems, but with people. — The Next Stage Project Team, 2025