Also I made a 'Facial Hair Powerpoint' for the Make-Up Designer....
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=31843A379A3CA19!118&authkey=!AIO3moZYp6_i5JY
Tuesday 31 July 2012
More Designs
2 more costume designs for Much Ado, with plenty more to come.
Also I made a 'Facial Hair Powerpoint' for the Make-Up Designer....
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=31843A379A3CA19!118&authkey=!AIO3moZYp6_i5JY
Also I made a 'Facial Hair Powerpoint' for the Make-Up Designer....
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=31843A379A3CA19!118&authkey=!AIO3moZYp6_i5JY
Natural Shocks Presents: PEEP
Since June I have been working as Costume Supervisor on 3 shows for this year's Edinburgh Festival. Although, admittedly the timing could have been better, what with me really needing to focus on Much Ado About Nothing AND the fact that I started my summer job again at the beginning of July, I still felt that the experience gained from this project would benefit me hugely and that it was too good an opportunity to turn down, especially considering that the Designer had asked for me personally (from working together at ArtsEd). Not to mention that it's expenses paid.... which is about as paid as I'm going to get for now- so it's brilliant! One step further towards actual PAID costume work!! In saying that.... I have yet to be reimbursed by the company... so I won't start celebrating just yet.
Trying to juggle this job, my summer job, Much Ado About Nothing, learning to drive, and general life, has made the past month extremely difficult, culminating in me running myself into the ground, getting a horrible chest-infection preventing me from working OR moreover, traveling with the company to Edinburgh for the opening nights (an option they did offer me, which was amazing seeing as they would be covering my travel and accommodation)- really gutted I couldn't go with them, and I had to stop working with some of the tasks unfinished, which is never a nice feeling. But I guess these things happen and I couldn't have risked getting the company ill too.
The whole experience was great, really interesting. My main role was essentially to continue sourcing the costumes whilst the designer was away in Denmark. I'm not sure how much I can say on here, as it is yet to open, so I don't want to spoil anything, so I will update this post with photos etc once the show is underway.
Needless to say, with a production like this which is still in constant development, I had to be very flexible; you would spend all day sourcing, thinking you'd finally got a costume sorted, then you'd get back to the rehearsal space and in the time that you'd gone, the whole vision for the play had changed. Not to mention sizing issues and all of that. As always, most of my job was returning stuff I'd bought. I also did a little bit of sewing and a lot of research.
Given that 'PEEP' contains 3 plays, each along the theme of 'sex', both reading the scripts and attending the rehearsals were interesting processes. And I had to do some fairly questionable research into some interesting shops.
I never thought how much of a problem it can be to get women's shoes in men's sizes- so that was an issue I'd never though of before....
There was a lot of that typical issue where you have to try and dress a character realistically, but it's a character who may not be very good a dressing themselves, so you want them to look realistic, but you don't want the costumes to look 'bad'... and trying to work round that issue- finding the balance between aesthetically tacky and actual tacky.... It was all tricky at times, but I got on well with the team especially the Designer who I think was relatively pleased with my work.
I was required to do a lot of the costume sourcing on Oxford Street.... during 3 of the hottest days of the year... just days before the Olympics, and that particular part of the job was not pleasant. But everything else, considering my job was mainly logistic rather than creative, was actually a really good experience. I feel like I've made good contacts and have learnt a lot from my work with this company. I just really hope they don't come away with a bad impression of me because I had to duck-out right at the end... I did try my absolute hardest.... but when you start getting feverish in Primark (more so than normal), it's a sign to throw in the towel.
Here is are some links to some info about the shows, will post more when PEEP has opened:
http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/peep
http://wefund.com/project/peep-edinburgh-festival-2012/p44339/
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/scotland/the-arts-diary-come-to-the-booths-for-a-cleaner-peep-1-2313040
http://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/event/255981-peep/
Trying to juggle this job, my summer job, Much Ado About Nothing, learning to drive, and general life, has made the past month extremely difficult, culminating in me running myself into the ground, getting a horrible chest-infection preventing me from working OR moreover, traveling with the company to Edinburgh for the opening nights (an option they did offer me, which was amazing seeing as they would be covering my travel and accommodation)- really gutted I couldn't go with them, and I had to stop working with some of the tasks unfinished, which is never a nice feeling. But I guess these things happen and I couldn't have risked getting the company ill too.
The whole experience was great, really interesting. My main role was essentially to continue sourcing the costumes whilst the designer was away in Denmark. I'm not sure how much I can say on here, as it is yet to open, so I don't want to spoil anything, so I will update this post with photos etc once the show is underway.
Needless to say, with a production like this which is still in constant development, I had to be very flexible; you would spend all day sourcing, thinking you'd finally got a costume sorted, then you'd get back to the rehearsal space and in the time that you'd gone, the whole vision for the play had changed. Not to mention sizing issues and all of that. As always, most of my job was returning stuff I'd bought. I also did a little bit of sewing and a lot of research.
Given that 'PEEP' contains 3 plays, each along the theme of 'sex', both reading the scripts and attending the rehearsals were interesting processes. And I had to do some fairly questionable research into some interesting shops.
I never thought how much of a problem it can be to get women's shoes in men's sizes- so that was an issue I'd never though of before....
There was a lot of that typical issue where you have to try and dress a character realistically, but it's a character who may not be very good a dressing themselves, so you want them to look realistic, but you don't want the costumes to look 'bad'... and trying to work round that issue- finding the balance between aesthetically tacky and actual tacky.... It was all tricky at times, but I got on well with the team especially the Designer who I think was relatively pleased with my work.
I was required to do a lot of the costume sourcing on Oxford Street.... during 3 of the hottest days of the year... just days before the Olympics, and that particular part of the job was not pleasant. But everything else, considering my job was mainly logistic rather than creative, was actually a really good experience. I feel like I've made good contacts and have learnt a lot from my work with this company. I just really hope they don't come away with a bad impression of me because I had to duck-out right at the end... I did try my absolute hardest.... but when you start getting feverish in Primark (more so than normal), it's a sign to throw in the towel.
Here is are some links to some info about the shows, will post more when PEEP has opened:
http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/peep
http://wefund.com/project/peep-edinburgh-festival-2012/p44339/
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/scotland/the-arts-diary-come-to-the-booths-for-a-cleaner-peep-1-2313040
http://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/event/255981-peep/
Wednesday 11 July 2012
My Week working at the V&A Theatre and Performance Galleries
25th June- 29th June 2012
A month later, and being ill off work, I finally have the time to update my blog about (what I can remember of) my marvellous week working at the V&A.
I really had such a great time- I learnt so much, and was treated incredibly well by all the staff and visitors- it was like EVERYTHING I did was a massive personal favour to them. And such a creative atmosphere- I loved it.
My first reaction was what a large department it was. I was initially filled with confidence and comfort when I saw not only that there was such a large 'backstage' team to the theatre and Performance galleries but that it was almost entirely populated with women in their mid-twenties. 'Perhaps the V&A is not as hard to work in as I always thought' I naively pondered, feeling inspired by the fact that I was surrounded by interesting people getting paid to do interesting things, and they were all only a few years older than myself.
It was only as the week progressed that I realised about 4 members of the department were paid, and ALL the rest were interns.....
Dreams shattered.
I talked to the lovely girl who was 'in charge' of me (one of the few who was actually EMPLOYED there, and may I say so, did an amazing job at juggling what seemed like everything in the universe).
She revealed when I asked how she'd got such an amazing job so young, that it had only been the result of something like a year's unpaid internship. I just don't understand who can afford to do that.
So although I felt bad for all the free-labour interns, they seemed to be enjoying themselves, as was I, and everyone I met was just so nice and friendly- and all the office talk was about theatre and performance, it was so nice being surrounded by people who were clearly passionate about the same things as you.
On my first day I got to look around the galleries and the exhibition in as much time as I wanted. The current exhibition was a condensed version of the work on display at the SBTD 'Transformation and Revelation' conference and exhibition in Cardiff. It was really nice to have a proper look at some of the works, and I immediately recognised some from before. This time round I especially enjoyed the works of Richard Hudson, and Paul Brown with Naomi Wilkinson's Set Design proving my favourite.
I also got a chance to go on the free daily tour of the Theatre and Performance galleries which was really interesting and I met a lovely old woman who invited me to her house in the New Forest.
I also did some work on a new top secret exhibition which will be one of the main V&A exhibits in 2013, which just happens to be exploring on of my favourite things ever to have existed ever in the world ever. But I can't tell you what. shhhhh....
So that was amazing, doing work on something I was already so passionate about, even if it is slightly frustrating that I can't tell anyone about it.
Other highlights of the week include:
Low-light of the week:
Casually trawling through the V&A archives to find some artwork to use for our Twelfth Night posters, I just happen to stumble-upon, by COMPLETE coincidence, photos from an old production of Twelfth Night.... set in India.... with a blue set..... and a washing line intersecting the stage...... I think this is something I'll have to get used to, but at the moment I am absolutely fuming that there seems to be absolutely no remote possibility of original thought ever in the world ever. First the RSC pinch my concept, closing on the SAME NIGHT that our version closes, THEN I discover that my set design is totally unoriginal and has been used before, not just for something random, but for Shakespeare- SET IN INDIA! argh!
It's so annoying because I specifically remember the organic progression of ideas and the train of thought that lead me to the seedlings of my set design. I remember the time, the place, why I suddenly decided to have a washing line... it was a real Isaac Newton moment haha. So it's not like I subconsciously saw any photos from this other production and thought: 'yeah that's what I'll do...' , it was instead, totally organic.
I can't find ANY photos on the internet of this production however, so it can't be that notable (although I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing for me....) and I wasn't allowed to publish the photos I found in the V&A archive.... so maybe I can just pretend it never existed.. I never saw the photos... I guess everything has always been done before. But maybe it can be my life goal to do something that hasn't been.....
BUT overall, it was a really fantastic week, and would happily return there any time. Wonderful staff, wonderful environment, interesting work.
Also whilst completing my placement here I saw 2 productions- neither of which I knew anything about before going:
CANTINA
The first was 'Cantina' part of the London Wonderground, which my friend from the Wimbledon Costume course took me along to. OH MY GOSH it was soo good. Normally, I'm not a big circus fan, but everything that company Cantina did, they did with a nod to the Bygone era. There was no spangle and loud abrasive noises and colours, everything was understated and overstated at the same time. Set magnificently in the Speigel tent (a venue I am not unfamiliar with), the vintage backdrop complimented the night perfectly, as you sat back and watched incredibly talented performers tight-rope-walk in stilettos, conduct death-defying acrobatics, and Charleston the night away to a live soundtrack of swing music.. all in 1940s costume. It was just like a dream. I will definitely try and go again before it leaves in October. It was so refreshing to see something without safety nets, or harnesses, or any modern day health and safety adherence.... everything was real, the danger was real, the dancing was real, and the humour was real.
It was just such a wonderful night.
The second I saw was 'Democracy' at the Old Vic, which I ducked into almost by accident as I tried to make the most of a spare evening in London. If you imagine how much Cantina was 'my sort of thing'.... Democracy was in fact the pole opposite.
I could tell it was quite a good production, but the fact of it was really that it just didn't appeal to me on any level. I'd like to say that it was worth the ticket price. I'd like to say that I now know a lot more about the East Germany/West Germany conflict. I'd like to say I wasn't remotely bored and instead cherished every moment of genius.
But alas, I found it dry, dull, and pretty unimaginatively staged.
Now that I am writing about it over a month later, I can remember very little, including the name... which I had to look up. Never a good sign.
A month later, and being ill off work, I finally have the time to update my blog about (what I can remember of) my marvellous week working at the V&A.
I really had such a great time- I learnt so much, and was treated incredibly well by all the staff and visitors- it was like EVERYTHING I did was a massive personal favour to them. And such a creative atmosphere- I loved it.
My first reaction was what a large department it was. I was initially filled with confidence and comfort when I saw not only that there was such a large 'backstage' team to the theatre and Performance galleries but that it was almost entirely populated with women in their mid-twenties. 'Perhaps the V&A is not as hard to work in as I always thought' I naively pondered, feeling inspired by the fact that I was surrounded by interesting people getting paid to do interesting things, and they were all only a few years older than myself.
It was only as the week progressed that I realised about 4 members of the department were paid, and ALL the rest were interns.....
Dreams shattered.
I talked to the lovely girl who was 'in charge' of me (one of the few who was actually EMPLOYED there, and may I say so, did an amazing job at juggling what seemed like everything in the universe).
She revealed when I asked how she'd got such an amazing job so young, that it had only been the result of something like a year's unpaid internship. I just don't understand who can afford to do that.
So although I felt bad for all the free-labour interns, they seemed to be enjoying themselves, as was I, and everyone I met was just so nice and friendly- and all the office talk was about theatre and performance, it was so nice being surrounded by people who were clearly passionate about the same things as you.
On my first day I got to look around the galleries and the exhibition in as much time as I wanted. The current exhibition was a condensed version of the work on display at the SBTD 'Transformation and Revelation' conference and exhibition in Cardiff. It was really nice to have a proper look at some of the works, and I immediately recognised some from before. This time round I especially enjoyed the works of Richard Hudson, and Paul Brown with Naomi Wilkinson's Set Design proving my favourite.
I also got a chance to go on the free daily tour of the Theatre and Performance galleries which was really interesting and I met a lovely old woman who invited me to her house in the New Forest.
I also did some work on a new top secret exhibition which will be one of the main V&A exhibits in 2013, which just happens to be exploring on of my favourite things ever to have existed ever in the world ever. But I can't tell you what. shhhhh....
So that was amazing, doing work on something I was already so passionate about, even if it is slightly frustrating that I can't tell anyone about it.
Other highlights of the week include:
- Doing some curation work on an exhibition of photos documenting the 1960s- I got to help decide which to include and which not to include, plus research in the V&A archives to see if we had any relevant supporting memorabilia.
- Helping-out a company doing an abridged production of Twelfth Night in the Performance Galleries, this involved making them a poster and finding them some leaves.
- Getting in all the exhibitions for free. Loved the Heatherwick Studios one- the rolling bridge and the seed cathedral were awe-inspiring. Was Majorly disappointed by 'Ball Gowns' I counted less than 5 dresses that weren't totally hideous. Was TOTALLY IN LOVE with the British Design one- and plan to go back asap. It was like the Post Modernism exhibition BUT BETTER.
- Getting to go up hundreds and hundreds of stairs to the roof where none of the public have access- getting a panoramic view of all of London (and further) on a beautiful sunny day. If only I'd had my camera!It was just magical, I felt so privileged to be allowed up there. Seeing a view only appreciated by few.
- Being sent to Christie's to blag a free catalogue of the Daphne Guinness Collection that was being sold that night in aid of the Isabella Blow Foundation. Not only did we manage to blag a free catalogue (which were otherwise I think £30) but we also got invited to peruse the items going up for auction which were displayed beautifully in a gallery to the back of the auction house. I couldn't believe my luck, it is so rarely that someone like me is allowed anywhere near somewhere like Christies LET ALONE being able to touch and inspect statement clothing from the likes of Alexander McQueen and Prada. Especially when i thought I'd be spending the day in the office. It was great.
Low-light of the week:
Casually trawling through the V&A archives to find some artwork to use for our Twelfth Night posters, I just happen to stumble-upon, by COMPLETE coincidence, photos from an old production of Twelfth Night.... set in India.... with a blue set..... and a washing line intersecting the stage...... I think this is something I'll have to get used to, but at the moment I am absolutely fuming that there seems to be absolutely no remote possibility of original thought ever in the world ever. First the RSC pinch my concept, closing on the SAME NIGHT that our version closes, THEN I discover that my set design is totally unoriginal and has been used before, not just for something random, but for Shakespeare- SET IN INDIA! argh!
It's so annoying because I specifically remember the organic progression of ideas and the train of thought that lead me to the seedlings of my set design. I remember the time, the place, why I suddenly decided to have a washing line... it was a real Isaac Newton moment haha. So it's not like I subconsciously saw any photos from this other production and thought: 'yeah that's what I'll do...' , it was instead, totally organic.
I can't find ANY photos on the internet of this production however, so it can't be that notable (although I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing for me....) and I wasn't allowed to publish the photos I found in the V&A archive.... so maybe I can just pretend it never existed.. I never saw the photos... I guess everything has always been done before. But maybe it can be my life goal to do something that hasn't been.....
BUT overall, it was a really fantastic week, and would happily return there any time. Wonderful staff, wonderful environment, interesting work.
Also whilst completing my placement here I saw 2 productions- neither of which I knew anything about before going:
CANTINA
The first was 'Cantina' part of the London Wonderground, which my friend from the Wimbledon Costume course took me along to. OH MY GOSH it was soo good. Normally, I'm not a big circus fan, but everything that company Cantina did, they did with a nod to the Bygone era. There was no spangle and loud abrasive noises and colours, everything was understated and overstated at the same time. Set magnificently in the Speigel tent (a venue I am not unfamiliar with), the vintage backdrop complimented the night perfectly, as you sat back and watched incredibly talented performers tight-rope-walk in stilettos, conduct death-defying acrobatics, and Charleston the night away to a live soundtrack of swing music.. all in 1940s costume. It was just like a dream. I will definitely try and go again before it leaves in October. It was so refreshing to see something without safety nets, or harnesses, or any modern day health and safety adherence.... everything was real, the danger was real, the dancing was real, and the humour was real.
It was just such a wonderful night.
The second I saw was 'Democracy' at the Old Vic, which I ducked into almost by accident as I tried to make the most of a spare evening in London. If you imagine how much Cantina was 'my sort of thing'.... Democracy was in fact the pole opposite.
I could tell it was quite a good production, but the fact of it was really that it just didn't appeal to me on any level. I'd like to say that it was worth the ticket price. I'd like to say that I now know a lot more about the East Germany/West Germany conflict. I'd like to say I wasn't remotely bored and instead cherished every moment of genius.
But alas, I found it dry, dull, and pretty unimaginatively staged.
Now that I am writing about it over a month later, I can remember very little, including the name... which I had to look up. Never a good sign.
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