Studio School of Design Announces Fall 2023 Courses

The Studio School of Design, the learning community created to prepare designers for the 21st century and to create pathways to an equitable, inclusive, and diverse community, has announced its fall courses.

Visual Storytelling Workshop, led by award-winner projection designer Wendall Harrington, is a two-session, hands-on event designed to help participants better understand how we communicate with non-verbal symbols to express ideas and emotions in support of both realistic and abstract narratives.

The first sessions, to be held Monday, November 13, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm EST, will focus on these questions: What is an image? What is visual storytelling? What is beauty? How have artists throughout the ages, from cave drawings to silent film, used images to communicate ideas and story?

The second session, on Monday, November 20, 6:30pm -- 8:30pm EST, will look at creative exploration and discussion of participants' responses to storytelling prompts.

The price is $150 for both sessions. Space is limited. It will take place at ETC New York, 630 9th Ave. Suite 1001.

Why We Make Cues is a series of workshops designed to increase the understanding of cue placement, cue rhythm and timing, and compositional sequences to support story, movement, emotion, and musical expressions. Each session will explore the unique aspects of text, music, and movement that affect cue placement and composition. Sessions include discussion of the source material, how to develop cue lists, and hands-on cue creation with feedback from professional facilitators and participants.

Session 1, Saturday, October 28, 10:30am -- 6pm EDT: Cueing for Text, with special guest Jennifer Tipton. The session will focus on storytelling with cue placement, timing, and rhythm to create a compelling visual narrative and support the text, design collaborators, actors, and the director's work.

Session 2, Saturday, November 4, 10:30am -- 6pm EDT: Cueing for Music, with special guest Broadway lighting designer Natasha Katz. The session will offer a deep dive into song structure, the correspondences of light and music, language, and the possibility for light and music to be in a dialogue.

Session 3, Saturday, November 11, 10:30am -6pm EST: Cueing for Movement. Discover how a performer's movement can elicit a lighting response: breaking down dance and movement to find a design language. Improve your storytelling and understanding of cue placement, timing, and rhythm from choreography and movement. Instructor: New York City Ballet resident lighting designer Mark Stanley. The price is $250 for each session; $700 for all three in-person sessions. Space is limited. The sessions will be held at New York Center for Dance and Creativity, E.10th ST and Ave A.

For more information or to register visit www.studioschoolofdesign.org.

SSD focuses on experiential learning and design storytelling. It celebrates the full range of human cultural expression and primarily supports those previously marginalized or excluded from the design professions. SSD sees lighting design as a creative art form and is deeply invested in the potential of telling diverse and inclusive human stories through the medium of light. The SSD vision is to increase collective knowledge and diversify access to lighting design professions. SSD seeks to provide equitable and inclusive, free, and low-cost online and in-person classes to talented and motivated learners.

A virtual who's who of the global lighting design profession SSD's Board of Advisors includes: Abigail Rosen-Holmes, Adam Honoré, Al Crawford, Alejo Vietti, Amith Chandrashaker, Anne Militello, Avi Yona Bueno, Bob Barnhart, Christina Watanabe, Craig Stelzenmuller, Heather McAvoy, Irene Byrne Ohl, Jane Cox, Jennifer Tipton, Jesper Kongshaug, Kenneth Posner, Natasha Katz, Nick Gonsman, Richard Pilbrow, Roma Flowers, Tyler Micoleau, and Xavier Pierce. Advisor bios: studioschoolofdesign.com/staff_cat/advisory-board/.

In addition to co-founders Mark Stanley and Clifton Taylor, the Board of Directors includes Ken Tabachnick, George. B Walker, Jr., Linda Shelton, Pat MacKay, and Peter Vincent. Leadership bios and background: studioschoolofdesign.com/staff_cat/leadership/

SSD is supported by grants, donations, and tuition. Outreach to organizations and donors is ongoing.

Donations can be made at: studioschoolofdesign.org/donation-page/

SSD is a 501c3 non-profit charitable corporation in the State of New York. Studio School of Design is an equal-opportunity employer, committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and welcoming workplace for all employees.

The LIT award: litawards.com/about-lit-design-awards/