The Linbury Prize for Stage Design 2009
A Turning Point in the Life of a Stage Designer
The Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design is
the UK’s most prestigious award for stage design. It is a seven
month-long competition and is the only prize of its kind, giving
recently graduated stage designers an unparalleled opportunity to
work with professional theatre companies and collaborate with
writers, directors and technical teams at this crucial stage in
their career.
Of the 12 finalists, four winners will be selected each of whom
will gain a professional commission with one of four companies and
win a cash prize. This year the commisions will be with Birmingham
Opera Company, Royal & Derngate, Sound & Fury for Fuel and
Unicorn Theatre.
We caught up with one of this year’s finalists, Jean Chan, who
graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in
2008.
60 Second Interview with
Jean Chan, 2009 Linbury Finalist
How are your preparations for the
Linbury Exhibition going?
It’s been very hectic. I'm just
taking a lunch break...coffee, cheese roll!! Thought I could
do a bit of multi-tasking and answer your questions.
What was the most memorable project
that you worked on during your studies at RWCMD?
WOW...hard question! There were so many. Top
three:
- The little room project (we each made a
little room!) with Christine Marfleet in the first year when learnt
how to model make for the first time.
- The 1st year fashion show. Totally amazing
project.
- 2nd year puppetry show, Alice Through the
Looking Glass. Taking it on tour to Prague was
incredible!
How has your training helped to get
you where you are today?
It taught me to work in collaboration, to
listen to what people have to say and to work really hard! My
course totally prepared me for the professional world.
What has been your most significant
professional project to date?
Landing the role of Assistant Designer for the
RSC last December was incredible. It’s been an opportunity to
assist on some amazing projects while working for one of the most
prestigious theatre companies in the world.
What did you have to do to become a
finalist in the Linbury Prize?
A lot of work! It's a long process that can be
very intense at times. I had to enter a portfolio of recent work,
which consisted mainly of College design projects.
What are you working on for the
Linbury Exhibition?
The design is for children's novel, The
Garbage King, by Elizabeth Laird for Unicorn Theatre. I don't
want to give anything else away yet... Sorry! But it will be
up and open to the public from the 2nd November
2009 at the National Theatre.
What do you think it could do for your
career?
LOADS...I hope it will help me on my way to
becoming a designer in my own right.
What’s next?
I’ll be working with the RSC until December.
After that - we shall see!
What advice would you give current
students?
Work hard and keep going. It can be really
tough but it’s worth it.
Hope this helps...back to work now!!
Previous Linbury
Success for the RWCMD
Both students and graduates of the RWCMD
Theatre Design courses have consistently done well in the Linbury
Prize:
2009 – Jean
Chan (Theatre Design, 2008) has reached the final stage of
the 2009 competition. The winners will be announced in November.
Jean won the Royal Shakespeare Company’s award for Trainee Designer
in 2008.
2007 – Rhys Jarman (Theatre
Design, 2006) won the prize for his work with the the Opera Group.
More recently Rhys has designed The Moon The Moon for
Unlimited Theatre, Catalysta at the Oval House Theatre and
Feet First for a tour by Boxclever Theatre. Rhys is
currently working as a designer for Doctor
Who.
2007 - Tom
Scutt (Theatre Design, 2006) won the prize for his work
with Headlong Theatre. Since winning the award Tom has gone onto
design Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Shakespeare Company,
Jack and the Beanstalk for the Lyric Hammersmith, The
Internationalist for the Gate and After Miss Julie
for the Salisbury Playhouse to name a few.
2003 - Adam
Wiltshire (Theatre Design, 2003) became a group winner of
the Linbury Biennial Prize and has since been designing for such
companies as the Royal Ballet, West Yorkshire Playhouse and Opera
North.
2003 - Crista Noel Smith
(Theatre Design, 2002) began designing for the West Yorkshire Place
House immediately after winning the Linbury Prize in
2003.
2001 – Max Jones (Theatre
Design, 2001) won the prize in 2001 and has since continued to
design for productions across the UK. He has worked extensively
with Clwyd Theatr Cymru, where he is Associate Artist. Currently,
Max is also working with the Costume Department on the new
Robin Hood film which stars Russell Crowe.
You can see all the finalists’ designs when they are
exhibited at the National Theatre from
2nd-29th November 2009.
Find out about Undergraduate and Postgraduate Theatre Design Studies at RWCMD.
Congratulations Jean! On 13th November 2009 it was
announced that she was one of the four Linbury Prize
winners and will be designing the Garbage King with
the Unicorn theatre.