After 7 ½ years it is time to say farewell, for now, to Black Country Touring – well 7 ¾ by the time I leave at the end of January – for pastures new up north in Sheffield.

Working with Black Country Touring has been a real privilege. When I think back to spring 2004, I still regarded myself as a young man back then. Working with BCT started off as a pilot year to see if there was any mileage in developing a larger South Asian programme of promoters, projects and productions. Resonate was a strategic initiative. It included working with a range of artists and communities on new and exciting ideas that we hadn’t tried before. As the programme evolved so did the role. In 2008 Resonate became part of the BCT’s core activity and very much part of its organisational identity.

The reason that BCT retained me for so long was that we were constantly trying new things that kept me stimulated and learning. What can I say about the people… it has been truly wonderful and a joy to work with them. For much of the time it didn’t feel like work because it was so much fun. I believe one of BCT’s greatest assests to be, the leadership of Steve and Frances. They nurture a sense of shared ownership amongst the whole team. This enables all the staff to contribute meaningfully and creates a culture where people care about BCT, because they’re able to make a difference.

I am moving to Sheffield to live with my partner. I will developing work with Asian gay and lesbian communities to cultivate more queer narratives in India and the UK. I can’t thank BCT enough. I wouldn’t be where I am today and embarking on my new adventures without my time at BCT.

So this leads me to say that we are recruiting for a new Producer at BCT. This is a very exciting role. It is at the beginning of an ambitious three-year programme of work. The Producer will influence and inform the direction of the work by working closely with the Artistic Directors. The role will be developmental and rewarding whatever the degree of experience of the new Producer, because at BCT you can push yourself as much as you wish, there is no shortage of ambition.

You can download the application pack from here Producer Application Pack

Bobby