For more than 25 years, Small World Productions has produced award winning travel series for public television. The Seattle-based company has produced more than 170 episodes and specials distributed nationally by American Public Television and co-produced by KCTS/ Seattle or by OPB Portland. Small World Productions credits include 65 episodes –five seasons—of Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa, 52 episodes—four seasons—of Travels in Europe with Rick Steves as well as 13 episodes of Travels in Mexico and the Caribbean with Shari Belafonte and 13 episodes of America’s Historic Trails with Tom Bodett.
Small World partners John Givens, Patricia Larson and Sandra Nisbet created such popular national series as Smart Travels, Travels in Europe, and Travels in Mexico and the Caribbean. In addition to their body of work with Small World, Larson and Nisbet have a background in theater, history, play writing, international travel and college teaching. Executive producer and CEO Givens has produced, directed and edited public television shows for more than forty years. In 2000, he was honored with a Most Valuable Producer Award from American Public Television and in 2007 and 2008 with Program Excellence Awards from APT. In 2009, 2010, and 2012 his work for Small World received Lowell Thomas Gold Awards for Broadcast Journalism.
For Adventures with Purpose, Small World is joined again by our excellent team of award winning producers, photographers and editors:
Patty Conroy has produced and written more than three dozen travel episodes for Small World including programs honored with a Lowell Thomas Gold Awards, Emmy Awards, CINE Golden Eagle Awards, ten Telly Awards and two International Communicator Awards.
Susan McNally has produced and written more than two dozen travel episodes for Small World. Her work has been honored with an Emmy Award, a Lowell Thomas Gold Award, several CINE Golden Eagle Awards, several Telly Awards and the Grand Prix at the Golden Pen Awards in Croatia.
Editor David Ris brings great creativity and knowledge of high definition television production to the project. He has edited more than 70 HD travel episodes for Small World, including more than 30 shows that have been honored with national or international awards. David also composes and performs the original music scores for AWP.
Sara Givens is Production Manager and Assistant Editor. Sara has a degree in Film and Video from The Evergreen State College and has traveled extensively with the AWP and Smart Travels crews.
Photographer Karel Bauer has shot six Adventures with Purpose specials. He scores of HD national credits including Smart Travels, Rick Steves Europe, several Nature docs,and Travels to the Edge with Art Wolf.
Award-winning photographer Eric Jensen has shot three AWP episodes for Small World including shows honored with an Emmy Award, 2 Lowell Thomas Gold Awards, andmultiple-Telly Awards. He is a full-time photojournalist for KOMO TV in Seattle.