Holly Copping: My Experience as Assistant Producer on Stories We Tell: Rochdale

Hey! I’m Holly and I had the pleasure of being Assistant Producer on Stories We Tell: Rochdale as part of the Breaking Barriers young company. This experience was one that I would consider to be a highlight in my creative career so far and I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with such positive and creatively encouraging people.

After graduating university in 2024 with a degree in Contemporary Art & Illustration, I moved back home and found it quite difficult to adjust and find work/experience, something I’m aware a lot of graduate’s face once leaving full time education. Despite living in Rochdale my whole life, I was never fully aware of just how many opportunities there were here for young creatives like me looking to break into the industry.

Through finally starting to network with various creative companies in Rochdale (such as M6 theatre company) and also doing some freelance production assistant work with an independent Director, I was told about Breaking Barriers and how they were looking for some young creatives to make up their young company on a project called Stories We Tell: Rochdale. I jumped at the chance to apply after reading about the project and finding that it really resonated with me as a Rochdale resident wanting to change the perception of Rochdale but in a creative and positive way. So, I applied for the role of Assistant producer and was given an interview which then led me to being offered the role! I was extremely excited and couldn’t wait to get stuck into the project!

Working on Stories We Tell: Rochdale really let me explore the role of being a producer, a creative avenue I had never thought about considering in the past. With the help of Creative Producer Ella Marshall and the rest of the Breaking barriers team/young company, I was able to expand my skills in project management & organisation, problem solving and general project admin such as creating plans and spread sheets for volunteer placement and overall performance timings. I gained a lot of valuable knowledge during my time in the young company and having the chance to work closely alongside people who are more experienced in the production industry felt very rewarding and an important steppingstone in the early stages of my creative career.

I experienced a lot of personal growth during my time as Assistant Producer as well as creative growth, for example, I got the opportunity to speak on Roch Valley Radio to talk about my time in the young company. In the past I probably would have said no to being on the radio as it would have felt too daunting for me, however, I knew that it would be an amazing opportunity for me to try something new and get over that fear of doing things that may normally be out of my comfort zone and guess what, I loved it! I felt so proud of myself afterwards for just saying yes and pushing myself and with the help of the Breaking Barriers team I was made to feel comfortable and supported through the entire process and now I can say I’ve been on the radio!

Another part of my role as Assistant Producer in the young company involved leading some of the performances which was again something I would never have usually thought to do, however, by the end of the two weeks I knew my cues for the walk off by heart and really enjoyed taking the public on a journey through the streets of Rochdale. It was so rewarding to finally see everyone’s hard work come together to produce a beautifully captivating experience, one that made me regain pride for the town I grew up in.

Creative growth came from learning skills from my fellow young company members, because we were all assisting in different areas of the project, such as film making, sound design and production management. It meant that we could swap and share bits of knowledge/expertise with each other and educate one another in our different areas. I felt very lucky to have such a great bond with the rest of the young company and I have definitely learnt a lot from them.

Working as part of the young company for Stories We Tell: Rochdale has been an extremely positive experience and has opened my eyes to a side of event planning/production that I would probably never have seen if it wasn’t for this opportunity. To be in the very middle of a large-scale production was exciting and really taught me a lot about teamwork and how important every single role is within a company to ensure a project runs smoothly. This experience has made me realise that my skills are worthy of people’s time and can be used to create a beautiful outcome to be shared with others who appreciate creative events. I have found a sense of community with Breaking Barriers which has definitely helped me to grow in both my creative practice and in my confidence as a newcomer to the industry.

I am a recent graduate with a first-class BA(Hons) degree in Contemporary Art & Illustration. I am extremely passionate about the film and television industry and one day hope to be a set dresser on large scale productions.

I am currently working as a freelance Production Assistant with an independent Director and also as a freelance Social Media Manager for my local council and various other social media accounts. I am determined to continue my work in the production industry and further my knowledge and skills wherever I can. 

Through my recent experiences in production assistance and social media management, I have been able to refine my abilities in areas such as project organisation, video editing, team management and understand what it takes to maintain a positive working environment. Skills which I know are integral to producing the best work.