The sixth Costume Symposium was held from Friday 19 – Sunday 21 September at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama/Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru in Cardiff, with the usual format of a day of talks followed by two days of workshops.
Keynote speaker for the Talks day (Friday 19 September) was Antony McDonald, who has worked internationally on many performances as a director and designer across theatre, opera and dance. In 2023 he was nominated for the Oliver Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for his Alcina design staged at the Royal Opera House. Also speaking was costume production manager and costume supervisor Carol Lingwood, who works across theatre, film and events and was Head of Costume at the UK’s National. Theatre for over 20 years. Carol talked about A Day in the Life of a Costume Supervisor.
Simon Lewis presented a demonstration on tying men’s neck cloths and cravats and there was a panel discussion in which industry professionals discussed how to bring sustainability into costume design and making.
Two days of practical workshops (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September were led by Sean Barrett (Millinery), Gillian Carew (Men’s Period Tailoring, Michele Carragher (Embroidery Embellishment), Kunza (Corsetry), Riina Oun (Handmade Gloves), with a new tutor, Mo Clouting (Costume Making for Stop Motion Animation). The workshops offer an unrivalled opportunity for makers to develop their skills.
PHOTOS FROM COSTUME SYMPOSIUM 2025
