On Tuesday 4 May, the Royal Opera House invited 20 students from across the country to Covent Garden for a special awards ceremony celebrating young design talent.
Recognising the breadth of young talent across the UK, awards were given for costume design, set design, marketing design, and hair, wig and makeup design.
The awards ceremony recognised the outstanding achievements of students who entered the Royal Opera House’s Design Challenge – a national, skills-based design competition that gives students the chance to work to a brief inspired by a real Royal Opera House production.
Now in its 13th year, the Design Challenge aims to discover and nurture talent, improve access to design jobs in the theatre and beyond, and enhance students’ hands-on skills to help them get the best out of their qualifications.
As well as receiving their awards from Royal Opera House Chief Executive, Alex Beard, each student was invited backstage to talk to and learn from some of the world’s most celebrated creators, artists, and technicians working at the UK home of world-class ballet and opera.
This year’s Design Challenge, inspired by The Barber of Seville, had award-winning work submitted from students across the UK, including from Liverpool, Hertfordshire and Rochdale.
Rosa, Liverpool, Commended for Set Design, said:
‘The Royal Opera House Design Challenge was a hugely exciting project that greatly inspired me. I tried many different techniques during the process which allowed me to grow in my practice. Finding out I’d been commended for this design was extremely gratifying and I was over the moon to be invited down to the Royal Opera House itself for an unforgettable experience.’
To continue celebrating this next generation of talent, each award-winning design is being showcased in a free exhibition in the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Foyer until Monday 10 June 2024.
The Royal Opera House congratulates each student who participated in this year’s Design Challenge for their incredible contributions.
Royal Opera House Chief Executive, Alex Beard, said:
‘The Design Challenge not only celebrates the next generation of exciting designers and creators, it also gives students an invaluable look into the professional creative world. It’s an inspiring initiative that showcases student’s skills while simultaneously providing a pathway and first step towards a long, successful creative career.’
