Royal Opera House Design Challenge

Year 12 Bridging Task

In the first term you have been selected to take part in the Royal Opera House’s Prestigious Annual

Design Challenge competition. This challenge will give you the opportunity to test and develop your

design skills based around the Kenneth Macmillan’s ballet ‘Romeo and Juliet’. You will be working

though the design process using a real live director’s brief, building a portfolio and designing a final

piece in costume design.

The judging process will take place in January in London; here is what they want to see…

The Brief:

•Produce a sketchbook that shows initial and final sketches of your costume designs for three

characters.

Your research should show your personal – as well as artistic – response to the themes and context

of the ballet. This should include an exploration of the issues raised in the ballet and how the

production you are working on reflects them.

•Construct a costume that could be worn by one of these characters in a scene.

Your final design may be delivered as a full-size or a quarter-size garment on a model. You should

also explain why you have chosen this scene and how your costume relates to the character and the

scene.

For you bridging task:

I would like you do some research and answer the following :

What is ballet, and how does it affect costume design and construction?

What is the story and how does costume aid the plot and setting?

How does design and types of materials aid the telling of the story?

Who are the main characters and how does costume provide information and clues about

them?

What practicalities do you need to think about when designing a costume for a dancer?

How is the costume affected by the time of day, period, season, and mood?

How do your material choices react under stage lighting?

I would also like you to create a mood board with visuals that you are interested in within a

particular scene, concept or character. Add materials as well.

Please find attached the directors brief in your pack, you are to choose one brief that will interest

you. Romeo and Juliet can be in any context (Modern or Traditional) as long as it tells the story…..

Here is a bank of resources you will need to start your research, plus links to the main website of The

Royal opera which has extra information on the design challenge.

Looking forward to seeing you all in September !!

Design Challenge:

http://www.roh.org.uk/learning/learning-platform/programme/design-and-make-design-challenge-

fe/

Judging Process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veZkLa0_BX8

Winners of 2017:

http://www.roh.org.uk/learning/learning-platform/roh-design-challenge-2018-the-winners-2/

An Introduction to Romeo and Juliet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJwA2idPqnY

How Kenneth Macmillan turned Romeo and Juliet Into a Ballet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ2g5NXq0QI

Sir Kenneth Macmillan's Romeo and Juliet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShXFk7Ll5Q

Romeo and Juliet- Extract from Balcony Pas de Deux

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWBVa2m_4Fs

Romeo and Juliet Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTn5tsG1fM

Romeo and Juliet Trailer 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=791y2sLVF_w