Working and studying abroad can be a hugely enriching experience both artistically and personally. Historically theatre designers and scenographers have been at the forefront of international artistic collaboration, the Prague Quadrennial is one example of our efforts to build a rich theatre design community. While working overseas can be beneficial for your portfolio it can also be expensive and navigating the varied and numerous employment laws difficult. Although we cannot provide a complete guide to working outside of your home country we hope that by presenting you with the personal experiences of a number of young designers who have successfully studied or worked abroad we can give you some idea of both the benefits to be had and the realities involved.
Christina Penna
We start our series with a short Interview with Greek born theatre designer Christina Penna, originally trained at the Aristotle University, School of Fine Arts, Thessaloniki Christina travelled to the United Kingdom to study for a masters degree in scenography. Since then Christina has worked in Mexico, Poland, United Kingdom and Greece.
Doron Shaltiel
Specialising in Theatre in education and costume design Doron Shaltiel was trained at the Nottingham Trent University. Doron has worked in Spain and Greece.
Andreea Mincic
Andreea Mincic is a New York based visual artist. She works mostly as scenic designer, painter and design assistant , but she also loves designing costumes and lights. She has worked professionally in Europe and the United States.
Top Tips:
- Research local employment laws before you leave.
- Finance: make sure you have accounted for currency exchange differences in your budget.
- Visit sites such as www.on-the-move.org
- Try to build up a base of contacts before you leave.
- Be prepared to start from the bottom and build your way up new networks.
Read More:
Comments