News

Wednesday 13 December 2006

Major exhibition will showcase theatre design talent (Collaborators: UK Design for Performance 2003-2007) 10 January - 4 February 2007

The very best of UK theatre design is heading to Nottingham as part of a major national exhibition bringing together the work of more than 150 contemporary designers. Nottingham Trent University has teamed up with the Society of British Theatre Designers (SBTD) for Collaborators: UK Design for Performance 2003-2007, to showcase a huge range of stunning designs spanning the last four years.

The exhibition, on view in the University’s imposing Waverley building, will illustrate why British theatre designers have such a worldwide reputation for their fresh and innovative ideas. Having used ‘time’, ‘space’ and ‘process’ as themes for previous exhibitions, the SBTD and the University’s Theatre Design Department are turning their attention to collaboration as a vital constituent of design for performance.

As well as showing how designers communicate their ideas to audiences, the theme will celebrate their partnerships with directors, writers, composers, choreographers and performers. Others collaborators include visual artists such as lighting and projection designers, digital artists, industrial designers and architects, as well as the talented crafts people who realise these designs for performance.

Designs will include inventive fringe performances to grand international ballet and opera, and West End musicals to small-scale touring productions.

There will be a collective exhibition by the Association of Lighting Designers and work from individual lighting designers. A presentation of work by UK Sound Designers will feature, as well as an installation involving 20 UK courses by the Association of Courses in Theatre Design.

The RSC’s The Complete Works Festival, Forkbeard Fantasy, cutting-edge company Quarantine, and two Ring Cycles from English National Opera and the Royal Opera House are included. There will also be performance space designs for Northern Stage Company, Wexford Opera House and Siobhan Davies Dance Studios.

The exhibition is held every four years, and a selection of the designs on display in Nottingham will be used to represent the UK at the International Quadrennial in Prague in June 2007. The previous exhibition, 2D>3D, won three top Gold Awards for UK designers, confirming the nation’s excellent reputation for performance and design.

Kate Burnett, Hon. Secretary to the SBTD and Reader in Theatre Design at Nottingham Trent University, said: “We have some of the very best and most innovative UK design for performance in this exhibition. They will stimulate visitors’ imaginings of plays or stories, as well as introducing strange, delicate and intriguing ideas in stage models, drawings and photos. This is a rare and fabulous resource for students, teachers, children and anyone interested in the art, craft and design of performance”. 

She added: “This is a great opportunity to get close to the lovely textiles, colours and craftsmanship of costumes, puppets, design drawings, photos and models which are normally only seen by the production team – or at a distance on stage.”

ENDS

Notes for editors: The Society of British Theatre Designers was founded in 1976 by John Bury, with Ralph Koltai, Nicholas Georgiadis and Timothy O’Brien. It started life with the object of deciding on the most appropriate union to negotiate for designers. Since then it has developed and diversified. It aims to enhance the standing of British theatre design at home and abroad. For more information visit their website.

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm, and at weekends 10am to 4pm. A programme of events will be held during the exhibition period, including a Design Courses Conference on 30 January to 1 February. On 3 and 4 February there will be an Equity and SBTD conference and professional seminars on digital photography of performance.

It is accompanied by a full colour catalogue – a unique resource for students, teachers and anyone interested in contemporary performance and a tailored education programme for schools and colleges. For information on the Collaborators Education Programme visit the above website or call +44 (0)115 848 2832.

For more information please contact Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk.

or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.