Role
Totie is a Lecturer for the Design for Stage and Screen group of courses within the School of Art & Design. Design for Stage and Screen includes:
BA (Hons) Design for Stage and Screen (Design for Theatre and Live Performance) BA (Hons) Design for Stage and Screen (Costume Design and Construction)
BA (Hons) Design for Stage and Screen (Design for Film and Television)
Career overview
Totie maintains her career in Higher Education, while also being an award winning International stage designer of musicals. Totie is an Alumni of NTU and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA), nominated for the NTSU Outstanding Teaching Award 2019
Recent career highlights have been designing the stage set for 'Miss Saigon' for Cameron Mackintosh for the West End and Broadway. Winner -‘Best Stage Designer” at the 'What’s On Stage' Awards, with productions also in Australia, Sao Paulo, Utrecht, Japan, Korean, and the US with a production coming in Vienna 2020. Totie has also designed a touring production of ‘Oliver’ again for Cameron Mackintosh.
Totie’s design career was kickstarted by connections made while on placement at NTU working on a panto in Plymouth and an opera festival in Wexford, Ireland. After graduation she moved to London working in design studio’s model making and drafting for theatre productions at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Donmar warehouse, Theatre Clwyd and the West End. Her passion for collaborative work developed as associate designer for several Theatre De Complicite productions at the National Theatre.
Translating her industry work into teaching practice, Totie has lectured in stage design at various universities including UAL-Wimbledon School of Arts and Falmouth University.
External activity
- Totie maintains industry links, working with theatre companies worldwide and securing work experience opportunities for her students.
- Designer of ‘Miss Saigon’ and ‘Oliver’ for Cameron Mackintosh worldwide.
- Exhibition Designer at V&A ‘Behind the Curtain’ Francis Hammel paintings.
Publications
Exhibition contributor-
Since 1843: In the making, an exhibition of over 100 selected works from Nottingham Trent University alumni, held across the University's City site. The exhibition marks the start of a year-long celebration of the School of Art & Design's 170th anniversary.
Press expertise
Totie’s area of expertise are:
- Theatre Design
- Large scale touring Stage Design
- Musical Design
- AutoCAD -Technical Drafting for performance design.
- Photoshop/SketchUp for performance design
- Collaborations with Visual Artists for performance
- Exhibition design.
- Retail Theatre.
- Digital development for performance design