National Search For Budding Theatre Designers Gets Curtain Up
Linbury Biennial Prize For Stage Design Opens For Entries
08 June, London: Theatre design students and graduates aspiring to see their work exhibited at the National Theatre and win a professional commission are being called to enter the Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design, which has opened for entries.
The Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design is the only competition of its kind in the UK and provides students and graduates with unparalleled opportunities for success and exposure:
Twelve Finalists:
- Have their work seen and reviewed by the some of the best theatre designers in the country.
- Work with four professional production companies for four months.
- Display their designs at the National Theatre, at which a series of exclusive events will be held and the winners announced.
Four Linbury Winners:
- Receive a commission to design sets and costumes from four professional production companies. (One Linbury Winner per production company).
- Receive a combined total of £50,000 in prize money, design commissions and production sponsorship.
- Join an exclusive group of Linbury Biennial winners that includes: Anthony Ward, designer for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Vicki Mortimer designer for Closer and Jumpers for The National Theatre and Tim Hatley an Olivier and Tony Award winner, whose work includes Private Lives and the Monty Python musical Spamalot currently on Broadway.
From the four Linbury Biennial Winners one will be recognised as the Overall Winner, The Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design 2005.
The Linbury Biennial is open to final year or recently graduated theatre design students. Application forms and further information can be found at the Linbury Biennial website: www.linburybiennial.org.uk or by calling competition management Kallaway Ltd on 020 7221 7883.
Portfolios must be with Kallaway Ltd at 2 Portland Road, Holland Park, W11 4LA, by 30 June 2005.
Twelve finalists will work with four commissioning companies from July to November 2005 and their designs exhibited at the Linbury Exhibition at The National Theatre in November 2005. The 2005 Linbury Biennial commissioning companies are:
- Bristol Old Vic
- Gate Theatre, Notting Hill
- Nottingham Playhouse
- Random Dance
Portfolios and designs are judged by some of the UK’s most respected theatre designers, artistic directors and actors. Previous judges have included,Tom Cairns, John Macfarlane, Dame Judi Dench and Lez Brotherstone. Judges for the 2005 Linbury Biennial will be announced shortly.
Lady Anya Sainsbury CBE, Linbury founder and chair of the Linbury Committee said: "Every year stage design increases in daring, sophistication and importance in keeping theatre at the cutting edge. The Linbury Biennial directly contributes to this evolution by identifying the best emerging designers and providing a national platform to have their work seen and commissioned.”
About the Judges
Professor Pamela Howard is a practising scenographer, director, curator, teacher and writer. Her book, What is Scenography? (Routledge UK/USA), has now been translated into several languages. In 2002 she directed and designed her own version of the 15th Century Spanish Classic La Celestina at the Hopkins Center USA. Following several experimental music theatre productions, in June 2005 she directed and designed Martinu’s opera The Greek Passion at the National Theatre of Northern Greece Opera, Thessaloniki. Her second book Designing Nothing is in preparation, and a further new production Please Take a Seat will be presented as part of the Belgrade International Theatre Festival 2005