the slice: february newsletter
Welcome to the second edition of ‘The Slice’, a monthly newsletter from Bread Productions
With ‘The Slice’, we share what’s inspiring us, what we’re working on and a monthly cut of culture, art, media and more. If you’ve got something you’d like us to shout about, get in touch!
February edition
Mazzy’s February kicked off with supporting a lovely community project called ‘Brandwood Buzz’. Brandwood is a leafy suburb of Kings Heath in Birmingham, brimming with community spaces, activities and support. Brandwood Buzz aims to revitalise the Brandwood suburb, creating a vibrant Cultural Action Area with a distinct identity, where collaboration sparks opportunity, pride blooms in every corner, and culture inspires creativity, curiosity and connection.
Mazzy has been discovering what the area has to offer through her ‘Mazzy Explores Brandwood’ series of video content, which has seen her building planters, crafting postbox toppers, and even Scottish country dancing! The project continues throughout March alongside a new series, ‘Ness Listens’.
Mazzy and Shannon were delighted to be asked (by January’s ‘the proof’ interviewee Louise Vines) to facilitate a collaboration between our client, The Night Owl, and Birmingham reggae legends UB40.
That was a very fun afternoon, and as you would expect, UB40 were absolutely lovely to work with! Head over to The Night Owl and UB40’s Instagram pages to see the results.
Next, we headed to the BBC UNBOXD event right in our home of Digbeth! It was such a privilege to go along to the launch brunch and hear about what the BBC are doing for young people.
“Tim Davie’s talk about how 16-24-year-olds interact with the BBC was amazing to hear, especially as someone in that age range working in the creative industries. There’s a lot in store for Birmingham over the next few years, and I can’t wait to see it (and hopefully be a part of it!)” - Shannon
“I recently attended ‘The Big Creative UK Investment Summit: West Midlands’. An event aimed at accelerating investment, building commercial confidence and fostering growth for creative businesses across the region. Hosted by the fabulous Marverine Cole, the event featured insightful presentations and fireside chats from Richard Parker, Michael Ford, Graham Webb, Ammo Talwar MBE, Simone Smith & many more. It was highlighted that we already have a creative and screen industry; the next step is to secure and allocate investment and scale.” Mazzy
February was also a very fun time for Mazzy and Shannon as they launched their brand new radio show and soon-to-be podcast, ‘Mixtapes, Movies and Memes’ on Brum Radio, with their pilot show airing on 17th February and featuring special guest Lee Nabbs of Mockinbird Cinema, Reel Brum and Forward Film and TV Festival. Listen back to the pilot episode here.
Mixtapes, Movies & Memes is a fortnightly culture show, live on BrumRadio.com Tuesdays, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. The next show airs live on Tuesday, 3rd March, and Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man special, with special guest Annabelle Bevan, Production Buyer for Peaky Blinders. We also talk Brit Awards, How to get to Heaven from Belfast, and Hijack.
Honestly, there was a hell of a lot going on in February, too much to mention it all. But, we’ve just got time to highlight one more key event - The Event Production Show, held at Excel, London. The show highlights the best of the live event industry through carefully curated exhibitors and informative panel talks.
“There were two panel talks that I found particularly informative, “Safety in the Spotlight - Is our industry doing enough?” (spoiler - no), and “Real Talk: How to Survive and Thrive in Events Through Hormonal Health, Fertility and Menopause”, (working flexibly and part-time seemed to be the most common answer, but not for everyone!) It was also great to catch up with other industry professionals and some of my favourite suppliers, such as ‘Silent Seminars’, who had provided all of the headsets for the panel talks, enabling multiple talks to be live at any one time. It’s always a pleasure to work with Duncan and the team. I first worked with them as a DJ at one of their Silent Noize events over 15 years ago!” Mazzy
March edition
Here are our highlights on what you could be getting involved in this month in the world of creative industries.
Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th MarchGet March off to a flying start by seeing a great play; The Battle at Birmingham Rep is showing all this week until Saturday.
Mazzy went to see the play last week and can confirm it’s “Bloody brilliant, incredible music, I was drawn in to see Matt Horne of Gavin and Stacey fame, but all of the actors are just as incredible - those lads ARE Oasis and Blur! So funny and engaging, a fantastic production. I had goosebumps for the final scene”
The lowdown…
London, 1995. Two of the country’s biggest bands release singles on the same day, commencing the battle of Britpop. On one side, clean-cut, art-school intellectuals from the South. On the other hand, raw and unapologetic lads from the North. Rivalries flare, friendships fracture, and at the centre of it all, a mania that would define an era – were you Blur or Oasis?
Tuesday 3rd March, 10 am - 12 noon
Mazzy has been asked to host a fantastic networking event organised by The Old Library and the Zellig team. There are very limited free tickets remaining; grab yours here to secure your place, or drop us an email at mazzy@breadbirmingham.co.uk
The morning will feature panel discussions with inspirational women, sharing their stories, insights and experiences, followed by relaxed networking with like-minded people in one of Digbeth’s most iconic spaces. As well as a free continental breakfast to kickstart your day 🥐
Thursday 5th to 19th March, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, Mockinbird Cinema, Birmingham
Birmingham, 1940: Amidst the chaos of WWII, Tommy Shelby is driven back from a self-imposed exile to face his most destructive reckoning yet. With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons and choose whether to confront his legacy or burn it to the ground.
Where better to watch the Peaky Blinders film than in Digbeth, where it all began! Tickets are on sale here and are selling fast.
Thursday 26th March, Business Networking Event at All Bar One, New Street
Join us for an exclusive business networking evening at All Bar One New Street Station, as we celebrate the opening of their new, bigger & better bar.
Enjoy complimentary welcome drinks, canapés, a goodie bag, live DJ, and more while you grow your network in stylish surroundings at the heart of the station.
If you’d like further details and/or to confirm your attendance, please email mazzy@breadbirmingham.co.uk
Ok, seriously, we are running out of room here. But that should be enough to keep you occupied in March, right? No? What about this…
Friday 20th March, Music Industry Day 2026: Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA & Live Lounge, Legacy Centre of Excellence, Birmingham. 1:30 PM.
Exclusive Music Industry Day with RZA (Wu-Tang Clan) & Born King blended with Live Lounge Event
A day created for artists, creatives, and anyone who loves music! An inspiring mix of workshops, panel conversations and real networking moments with people who actually work in the industry. Whether you're an upcoming artist, a producer finding your sound, or simply someone curious about how the music world works, this event is designed to help you learn, connect, and grow.
On the day, you can look forward to:
🎤 Honest panel talks with artists, managers and industry professionals
🎧 Hands-on workshops where you can build skills and ask real questions
🤝 Networking sessions that open the door to new collaborations
💡 Practical advice on building your career and navigating the industry
🚀 A chance to connect with a creative community that understands your journey
Early bird tickets are LIVE here now
Each month, we spotlight a rising expert in their field working within content or events. This month, Mazzy caught up with Aresa Foster, Freelance Production Coordinator in High-End TV and Indie Creative Producer.
Can you tell us about your role in High End TV?
The role of a Production Coordinator specifically mostly focuses on comms, paperwork and distribution. I work within the Production Management department, assisting the Line Producer and Production Manager and alongside other production team members, organising all the administrative elements of making a production happen. Tasks can include raising cast and/or crew contracts, booking travel and accommodation, liaising with suppliers, prepping meetings and recces, distributing production paperwork such as call sheets, risk assessments and progress reports and anything and everything else in between. My days in the production office and responsibilities can vary day to day (it's not just about spreadsheets 24/7) and also vary between projects depending on the genre and scale of the production.
Can you tell us about your role in indie productions?
As Producer on indie productions, my role is to see through a Writer and/or Director's vision through production to the screen and ensuring every cast and crew/member of the team have what they need to help bring that story to life. For me, it's all about planning each logistical element, making sure everyone gets from A to B and is equipped, keeping all departments and personnel informed of the plans, documents and all the moving parts. Similarly to working in Production Management, it's about making sure everything is in order and in place and setting the shoot up as best as possible for a win. What differs as a Producer is that the creative responsibility is greater: it's a balance of maintaining the creative vision, but still keeping the production on track within any budget, time or logistical constraints. I also feel it's important to be a supportive arm throughout the entire filmmaking process for any of the lead creatives, Writer and/or Director - creating a safe space and at the same time "levelling up" how we tell stories and the stories we're telling.
Tell us about your journey into the industry.
I've always wanted to be in the film industry since age 13. I wanted to be an actor, but I slowly realised I wasn't going to be the best performing arts student… I studied Film Studies at A Level and discovered there was much more to making a film - I learnt that there was such an art to telling a story from behind the camera. After lots of failed film job applications, I landed my first job after college as a Production Assistant in London, before moving to Birmingham 7 months later - an initial 9 months' maternity cover turned into my first three years working in production and learning all the processes of corporate and commercial filmmaking.
2020 was the year I decided to take a leap of faith and test the freelancing waters... after persistently emailing out my CV, my first job was on an indie feature film for 2 weeks, followed by a place on Create Central's first-ever TV Production Bootcamp in early 2021. Because of the bootcamp, I gradually found my feet in unscripted TV - working on the likes of 'The Great Pottery Throw Down' and various versions of 'The Great British Bake Off'. Then, I had the opportunity to work on the B2022 Commonwealth Games, before transitioning into HETV and feature films, which I have predominantly focused on building my Production Management skills since 2022.
In 2024, I began honing my skills in short film producing with my first short film, '3 6 5' as Writer/Producer. After taking on the producing reins for short films 'Daniel's Room' and 'Christmas Cracker' later that year, not only did the producer portfolio start growing, but so did my short filmmaking networks within the region. So much so, that I've felt encouraged over the last couple of years to start emphasising ARESA E FILMS - utilising nearly a decade's worth of Production Management industry experience to help produce regional indie stories.
How do you manage the fast pace at which you work?
Being a bit of a workaholic really helps; I thrive on being busy and multitasking many elements either within a HETV/feature film production office or for an indie project, or just in life generally. It can be a lot at times, though, so remembering to enjoy times away from the desk and being kind to yourself (all of which I'm still working on and don't really have the answer yet on how to balance it all). Practically, though, what helps me compartmentalise production tasks is that I have a spreadsheet for everything!
Are there any productions you're particularly proud of?
I'm proud of many of the productions (if I can say that), both in the industry and as an indie Producer, for one reason or another - to complete a project is a proud moment alone! I do have some proud standout moments, though:
In terms of the career, some of my highlights are: seeing my name in credits on TV for the first time; standing in the Alexander stadium on the very last medal ceremony having coordinated all 283 (or so) medal ceremonies at the B2022 Commonwealth Games; as well as all the other random and near impossible tasks and achievements that come about working in production. Within the indie space: producing a sold out premiere for 'Daniel's Room', which is a very Midlands Proud film in itself and doing its film festival round including winning Best West Midlands film at the inaugural Forward Film Festival in Birmingham; winning the Producer's Forum 60 Second Film Competition with 'Xmas Box', recently standing in the middle a night shoot on 'Kitty Clap Klub seeing around me the team and set we pulled together; and finally braving it to put my voice out there as a Writer with my first short film '3 6 5'.
How do you think the industry has changed/involved since you started?
For the Midlands industry specifically, it's great to see the attention the region is getting and how much the filmmaking community has grown since I started in Birmingham back in 2017. With the growth of Reel Brum, Create Central and WMCA training courses, more local film communities and events taking place, it just shows there is a real hunger now more than ever to making it in the Midlands (albeit we've had the loss of Doctors and there is still plenty of room to grow and keep on attracting work to be made in the Midlands).
Thank you, Aresa! Anything that you’d like to add?
A shout-out to all the amazing production colleagues and industry freelancers, fabulous short filmmakers and the amazing film community in the Midlands that have helped make my production/producing dreams come true!
This month, we asked our ‘The Proof’ guest, Aresa Foster, to give some advice to aspiring production coordinators or producers.
I'd say if you're really passionate and serious about making it, you just have to go for it. The first step is getting out of your comfort zone: write that script, make that first short film (even if it's a small micro on your phone - use the resources you have), go to networking, apply for training courses, send your CV off to your dream company - that's the scary bit. The second step is being willing to put in a lot of hard work and hours, then being okay with the fact that the result may not be what you originally planned (goes for both your own creative projects and a career in the industry).
Making films and establishing a career in the industry takes years and lots of long days (and even some blood, sweat and tears along the way). But if you know it's what you really want to do with your life and have the right people around you (plus there are lots of resources, accessible information, social media pages, Facebook groups and networking groups out there), then it really is worth it. What's more, seeing a project you've created/been a part of, whether that be on the telly box, cinema screen, film festivals, or even just sharing with your friends and family, is really a feeling you won't find in any other job!
Thank you for reading our first edition of ‘The Slice’! Want to tell us about your cool event or project? Or recommend a rising expert for us to talk to (even yourself!), drop Mazzy an email at mazzy@breadbirmingham.co.uk
