People
Meet the Dockers: Sofia Tomic
Sofia Tomic is an emerging cultural producer passionate about creating inclusive and innovative work. Originally from Switzerland, she moved to London to study Street Dance at the University of East London (UEL) and has since worked across events, podcasts, choreography, performance, and DJing.
We spoke with Sofia about her time on the Cultural Producers Programme, where she gained hands-on experience working with the Royal Docks Culture and Activation team to produce Royal Docks Originals, a free arts festival which happened across the Royal Docks in 2025.
Tell us about the Cultural Producers Programme and why you applied
The Cultural Producers Programme is a great opportunity for Newham residents aged 18 to 30 who have some cultural or arts experience and want to break into the creative industry. Over six months, you’ll get paid, gain real hands-on experience putting on cultural events, and benefit from mentoring, workshops, and support to help you grow professionally.
I studied at UEL and first heard about the Cultural Producers Programme through my lecturers. I’ve lived in Newham since I moved to London and thought that the programme was the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about the culture around me. It also gave me the chance to meet other young producers in the area, connect with local organisations and artists creating fantastic work and understand how I can contribute and actively support this cultural ecosystem.
Tell us about your placement with the Royal Docks Culture and Activation team
It was an exciting time to join the team, as they were delivering Royal Docks Originals, an amazing free three-week arts festival. I was really curious at first, as it was a new environment and the scale of Royal Docks Originals was bigger than anything I’d worked on before. Supporting the production of Rekindling, an incredible large-scale fire installation with world-renowned fire artists, was nerve-wracking but fantastic. I worked closely with the Culture and Activation team as well as with Carlton Fontaine-Nowell who was on the programme, constantly learning while being trusted to get involved, lead on parts of projects, and collaborate with the team. I could share ideas, take initiative, and receive guidance about every aspect of producing.
My responsibilities revolved around three Royal Docks Originals projects - Rekindling, Get Moving and Our Docks.
For Rekindling, I supported my colleagues through the different processes leading up to the performance nights, as well as the delivery of the project and the evaluation post-event. It was a challenging but very interesting project to work on, as it involved many different collaborators and was delivered right in front of City Hall.
Get Moving in contrast was a family day in and around Thames Barrier Park celebrating the opening of the Royal Docks Corridor. For this project, I managed the programming and supported the production company Continental Drifts in the delivery of the event.
Carlton and I were also given the incredible opportunity to lead on a project for the festival. We have decided to create a Festival Diary, collecting memories of what we call ‘the movement’, the planning and development processes that led up to the festival, and that are often behind the scenes. It was important for us both to be able to showcase all the work that went into Royal Docks Originals and shed a light on the process that we were discovering and being part of.
The Royal Docks Team were and still are extremely supportive, which has also encouraged me to pursue my own project and create new opportunities.
What was something new you learned about producing cultural events during this placement?
On operational levels, I experienced many new processes that I have never been through before, and whilst it was sometimes challenging, it was fascinating to see elements coming together like a puzzle. I guess there are also unknown parts that you always need to be ready to deal with as challenges come along, and this is a fundamental the role. No matter what happens, it’s important to stay optimistic, solution-orientated, perseverant but also to know when to seek help.
Was there a project you felt especially proud of?
It might sound predictable, but Rekindling is the project I’m most proud of. The whole experience was extraordinary. Understandably, it was very challenging, there were still many question marks and uncertainties until the end of the first night. I just remember all the installation being in place, the audience standing around, intrigued, and a feeling of excitement and anticipation in the air, as the artists started their walk around in their mysterious costumes.
The fire slowly started to appear, and I could see each step of the process, the work of all the community members and partners involved, the artists, and the creative team, come together. It felt really special, and I am very proud to have been part of it.
I think working here has really opened my eyes not only to the amazing artists, businesses and communities that are here, but also the opportunities, what is being created and supported. I look forward to coming back to the Docks and see more culture, and more spaces for communities to thrive in.
Sofia Tomic
How has the experience helped you think about what you’d like to do next in your career?
I definitely aim to keep collaborating with various communities, continuing my work in the dance scene, as an event organiser and podcast producer, but also support the communities of Newham, especially in creative projects, and helping up-and-coming artists, as I understand those challenges myself.
I want to create and cultivate connections that will bring change for the new generations of artists, producers, and other essential members of the community. I hope to be able to provide spaces for everyone to feel like they can learn, present their work, meet new people, create opportunities for themselves and grow.
What advice would you give to someone considering applying for the Cultural Producers Programme?
This is not only an amazing opportunity to learn new things, but to make amazing new connections, put your voice and ideas out there and be heard. One thing that this programme is about is you.
It will support you bringing your own ideas to life, so don’t be scared to get into it, to collaborate, to experiment but also to show who you are, what kind of producer you aspire to be, and create anything that people will connect to, will see a part of themselves in and be inspired by.
Creative Newham Cultural Producers Programme
To find out more about the Creative Newham Cultural Producers Programme visit - www.uel.ac.uk/cultural-producers
