Central Presents the 2017 Design and Crafts Exhibition

Central is proud to present the 2017 Design & Crafts Exhibition, from 3-5 May.

The 2017 Design & Crafts Exhibition celebrates the work and accomplishments of the graduating design and crafts students specialising as prop makers, lighting designers, puppeteers, stage designers, costume makers, sound designers, scenic artists, and scenic constructors, before an audience of industry professionals and close friends.

Principal, Professor Gavin Henderson, writes:

           “It was once said that if one withdrew all the backstage design and technical staff trained at Central from the London stage, the West End would come to a standstill. Of our 1,000 students only one-third are actors, but they are the ones who get the media and critical attention. This Exhibition should redress that balance. Central can point to many winners of the Linbury Prize for stage design, to the Oliviers for lighting and sound design, and to the Tonys and other US awards.”

About our Theatre Practice disciplines

Designers are artists who enjoy working collaboratively and are as excited by words, performance and research as they are by painting, sculpture, fashion and architecture. They are responsible for the visual and sonic realisation of a production.

Puppetry embraces design, puppet making and manipulation to devise and collaborate to create storytelling through visual theatre performance. Using historical discussions and intercultural study of traditional practice to inform contemporary and future puppetry performance.

Craftspeople are technically skilled and creatively inventive makers, and are an essential part of any production team. They must be sensitive to the stylistic intentions of the designer and director, and be able to research and understand the time, place and narrative of the production.

One of the unique features of BA (Hons) Theatre Practice course is the way that specialist disciplines such as these are able to focus on their area of study for three years, but in the dynamic context of collaborative work with all the other theatre making disciplines. This exhibition celebrates the work and accomplishments of the graduating design, puppetry and crafts students throughout their time here at Central.

Find out more about Theatre Practice at Central

Visit the course pages to find out more about our design, production and technical courses.