Opera – part 7 (The Finale)

My summer of opera has come to an end, an so too has my opera project. I started with recording my experiences in rehearsals, then moved on to recording the return of opera after lockdown with live audiences, then my experiences performing in opera myself. In the last few weeks I have added to the

Weather the Storm – Design Experience

This week I have had the fantastic opportunity to work with designer Ruth Paton, who works as part of the Learning and Outreach programmes for English National Opera, Royal Opera House and Garsington Opera. I have been in performances designed by Ruth before, and I love her approach to design. Colour plays an important part

Opera – part 6

A parallel piece to the masks in this project is the tail coat I acquired from the wardrobe department of Opera Anywhere. This part of the project is larger scale and less portable, and I wanted it to contain more than just my memories of working at Garsington. I want it to embody opera, particularly

Opera – part 5

Over the last month I have had the privilege of working behind the scenes at Garsington Opera as it wakes up and gets ready to receive guests again after lockdown. I wore the masks and bandannas I made while at work, which I have documented with selfies in different locations around the site. I tried

Opera – Part 4 A Stitch in Time

Theatres are just starting to awaken from a year-long slumber during the pandemic, and I want to record my experience as a backstage runner during this once-in-a-lifetime event. For me stitch is the ultimate record of memories, because it takes time and thought, and embroideries are often done to commemorate a significant event. I explored

Opera – part 3

After drawing while listening to opera I wanted to explore what the designs would look like on fabric. I experimented with calico, plain cotton, polyester, synthetic velvet and satin acetate. The calico took the colour really well, cotton ran more but has better movement once dyed. The polyester, velvet and satin acetate did not hold

Opera – part 2

When researching artists for this project I had two options: artists that were inspired by music, and artists that painted scenes that relate to music. During my research I discovered that Bauhaus artist Wassily Kandinsky was inspired by music, creating many pieces with musical names, such as his “composition” series. Kandinsky had synesthsia, a perceptual

Opera – part 1

To start the project I focused on costume in opera. Many are set historically, or the time they are written, which involves lace, corsets, ruffles, cravats and cuffs. I wanted to explore the lace texture further because I had some in the house, and flowers often feature in opera and is one of the key

FMP – Opera

I chose opera as my theme because it is something I have been involved with for a long time. My first opera experience was with the Garsington Opera Youth Company in 2015, and I have been a member ever since. At that point I had never seen an opera, I only knew it was like

Final Major Project – Theme

To choose my theme I wrote down all of my ideas in a mind map to explore all of the possibilities. I then used a different colour to analyse what I had actually put down and visualise my thoughts. My favourite out of all of them was opera, because I felt it had a wide