Genevieve Lou
(She/Her)
Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Geni’s passion for dance led her to pursue a career in the UK, after completing a Bachelor of Commerce at McGill University (CAN) and studying dance at Asa Folkhogskola (SWE).
Over the years, Geni has toured Europe as a performer, teacher and judge of dance competitions. As a choreographer, she presented her own work at The Place (UK), The V&A (UK), The Yard (UK), The MAI (CAN), and Sadler’s Wells (UK). Building on her artistic experience and business education, Geni always felt compelled to understand how she could drive projects forward by leveraging resources, supporting artists and bringing artistic dreams to life. Naturally, she started developing herself as a creative producer, working with award-winning Bboyizm Dance Company and Bust A Move Festival, Canada’s first street dance festival.
Once established in the UK, Geni’s ambition and desire to gain a better understanding of the European artistic landscape led her to become a trainee producer at The Place. In addition to producing for various artists such Chris Reyes Clara Bajado and Dickson Mbi, Geni has designed educational street dance programme for Swindon Dance and sits on the board of B.Supreme, an organisation dedicated to supporting women within the street dance industry.
Through her work, Geni aspires to produce beautiful and meaningful works that showcase the voices and stories of outstanding artists, whose perspectives is informed by the meeting of different worlds. Her passion for creating an artistic landscape that is representative of our diverse society is truly inspiring, and her impact on the industry will undoubtedly continue to grow.
“I will use the bursary to develop my network within Europe, focusing on venues and festivals that present Hip Hop Theatre.”
Photo Credit: Duke.LDN
Image Description: I’m an east asian woman in her thirties, with dark brown hair and brown eyes, a fringe and a bun and wearing a black tank top.
Bursary Reflection
The bursary enabled me to travel to Sommerfestival Kampnagel in Hamburg, Germany, to Italy to meet a co-producer in Italy, and to Austria to meet a presenter for an artist I am working with.
I believe that the opportunity for producers to travel and meet with potential presenters and co-producers / partners is crucial and often underestimated as a key part of building a successful career.
The work is about more than selling a show or showcasing an artist; it’s about building genuine connections over time and fostering them.
This is really hard to achieve through email chains and Zoom meetings, where the exchange is much more transactional. Sometimes, going to meet with an openness, just to be there and connect, not necessarily with a specific agenda, is what leads to discussions that make us discover what we have in common.
At the end of the day, people want to work with people they like; of course, the work you are promoting matters, but with so many great artists that present great work, maybe the human connection that has been established and nurtured, the sense of trust that is built also makes a difference.
It goes the other way as well; if I get to know the people I work with, it allows me to do my work better, in a more relaxed way, with a confidence that the presenter/co-producer will show up in a certain way.
I think that building that rapport and even the initial meeting needs to be natural, and therefore, we need to meet in person, grab a coffee and get to know each other. Taking the time to do this can be challenging, but I believe it makes the whole difference.
