Designers Lab for Set and Costume

Bring your ideas to life in this intensive program dedicated to the art of set and costume design for stage and screen.

Over three immersive weeks, you’ll explore concept development, sketching, collage, and model-making. Experiment with bold ideas, explore innovative design approaches, and discover how visual storytelling shapes powerful experiences on stage and screen.

NIDA’s Designers’ Lab offers a collaborative, inspiring environment where emerging and experienced designers alike can refine their craft, connect with peers, and prepare for further study or careers in performance design.

Components

1. Week One: Discover the story, create the concept
   Research and analyse a script for the purpose of concept development. Apply the principles of effective costume and set design for live performance. Define your role as a designer and create the visual narrative that aligns with the director’s brief. 

2. Week Two: Model your vision, construct your creation
   Develop your concept from a play text and undertake technical exercises related to model-building and costume design to realise elements of your work. 

3. Week Three: Frame the scene, design the screen 
   Translate your stage design skills to film and TV. Explore perspective drawing, view your work through the camera lens, and adapt concepts for screen storytelling. Pitch your designs and engage in industry discussions to map future pathways.

Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will have:

1. Analysed a text and designed an aligned concept.

2. Created a basic 3D object using model making tools.

3. Presented a costume created with sourced materials using an allocated budget.

4. Pitched a design concept for the screen.

This course is ideal for designers who:

• Are interested in visual storytelling and shaping narrative through design.

• Want to develop and refine practical design skills from concept to creation.

• Enjoy creative problem-solving and want practical experience in a supportive space.

• Want to prepare for further study or a career in design for performance.

• Are ready to embrace intensive, focused training with a diverse, international cohort.