Performance Designers from Across the World Battle to be in Cardiff ShowcasePerformance designers from across the world are so keen to showcase their work at this September's first UK-hosted edition of World Stage Design that the event's Cardiff-based director says each exhibition slot could have been filled six times over. The event runs September 5-15, 2013. World Stage Design is a 10 day festival celebrating international performance design work via a program of performances, exhibitions, workshops, talks and a competition to design and build an innovative theatre space using sustainable materials. Speaking as the names of the 100 international theatre, opera, and dance designers chosen to take part became public online at www.wsd2013.com, project leader Sean Crowley, of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD) , admitted to being delighted by the number and quality of applicants vying for showcase places. He said: "The scale of global interest in World Stage Design 2013 in Cardiff has been beyond our expectations. Our call for exhibition entries received more than 600 submissions from 52 countries -- among them, set, costume, lighting, and sound designs created for some of the world's best known and admired performance companies. It has been a tough challenge to select just 100 finalists from the many talented designers who entered their work but it does guarantee that there will be a truly extraordinary exhibition at the center of our 10-day celebration this September displaying the work of established and emerging artists." The free exhibition is expected to be one of the main attractions when it opens on September 8 in the RWCMD's Linbury Gallery and Bute Theatre as part of every four year World Stage Design -- happening this year for the first time in the UK. Exhibits will include original costumes, scale set models, design sketches, and production photographs alongside original props and interactive sound and lighting installations. Among the 100 exhibitors will be the Olivier and Tony award-winning Richard Hudson (UK) whose credits include sets and costumes for the Royal National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Royal Shakespeare Company, and The Lion King: Marie Jeanne Lecca (Romania: UK Based), the costume designer for Welsh National Opera's LULU; RSC's associate designer Tom Piper (UK) and Jean-Marc Puissant (France) who works on theatre, opera, and dance shows worldwide. Crowley added: "We are especially pleased that the final list contains representatives from five continents and includes many younger designers working on smaller productions as well as more established designers. This ensures that exhibition visitors will get to see a highly diverse, inspirational, and truly international range of approaches." The full program for World Stage Design 2013 (WSD2013) will be published in July but other confirmed atttractions so far include a special effects workshop by Colin Arthur (Never Ending Story, A Space Odyssey) and costume events led by experts from the V&A Museum and including contributors such as Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell, and leading costume designer Vin Burnham (Batman Returns, Lady Gaga). Visit the WSD2013 website at www.wsd2013.com to find the latest news and blogs and sign up for free e-updates, or follow WSD2013 on Facebook or @wsd2013; #wsd2013 on Twitter. WSD2013 is being hosted by the RWCMD and is supported by the Welsh Government, OISTAT (the International Organization for Scenographers, Theatre Architects, and Technicians), the Ministry of Culture Taiwan and the Society of British Theatre Designers. 
|
