North Hertfordshire College’s Art and Design learners are always busy working on exciting projects. Most recently, they took part in this year’s Royal Opera House Design Challenge, tasked with working on a live brief set by the prestigious theatre design professionals.
This year, the brief required our learners to produce either a set, costume or advertising design project for their featured opera, The Barber of Seville. This romantic opera tells the story of two young lovers on their quest to be together.
The director laid out three visions for our team to focus on, they had a choice between Comedy, Change, or Power and Authority. Our learners’ chosen focus helped inform their design choices to ensure they align with both the director’s vision as well as the underlying themes of the opera.
Our learners set to work, thoroughly researching The Barber of Seville, exploring the plot, analysing characters, and understanding the music choices to inform their creative decision making.
During the project, industry professionals from the fields of graphic design, costume design and stage management visited the entrants to give feedback on their work.
We are so proud of Level 2 Art & Design learner, Archie, who received the costume design commendation for his modern interpretations of outfits for characters such as Figaro, Dr Bartolo, Rosalina and more.
Another one of our Level 2 Art & Design learners, Lilly, impressed with her magnificent, European style set design which won her the set design commendation.
Our Level 3 Art & Design learner, Elise, won the Director’s Choice award for her innovative yet practical costume design ideas. The Director’s Choice award is judged across all entrants to all categories and is driven by what is exciting to the Director in terms of how designers have responded to the original vision. A huge well done to Elise!
Our learners will receive their awards at a ceremony later this year, their prize packages include a work placement with The Royal Opera House. Congratulations to our budding designers!
Elise commented:
“A year or 2 ago, I would have been too scared to have even entered the challenge, so it means a lot to not only be given the opportunity to enter, but to be given the Directors Choice award. To know that another creative in such a high position is excited by my outlook and take on the brief gives me more confidence in myself and my work moving forward.”
Throughout our Art & Design courses, our learners are encouraged to develop their own personal creative style, whilst delivering on all requirements of a brief. Competitions such as these provide our Art & Design learners with valuable experience of designing in response to a real-life brief given by a prestigious arts organisation.
Could you put your creativity to the test and follow a range of creative briefs? Discover Creative Industries courses at North Hertfordshire College.