5 June 2013

    £10 / £8 Concessions / £7 ICA Members 

    BAFTA Masterclass Labs are monthly events where innovative talents from the film and television industries share their creative practices with the audience. Sessions are well illustrated with clips or other media, and with much time for questions, these masterclass labs give the audience an opportunity to exchange ideas with some of the industries’ exceptional newer talents.  

At the V&A with Synergy Theatre Project

I have recently finished working at the V&A on a short course: An Introduction to Costume Design for Ex-Prisoners.

The four sessions were a collaboration between the V&A and Synergy Theatre Project.

Marisa Smith, our incredibly well organised co-ordinator and her trusty assistant Bryony Smith, along with Kirsten Shirling from Synergy, steered us through the sessions and helped us all deliver the best we could offer in the time given. This thoughtful planning and concise use of time meant each week we were able to provide an afternoon's workshop with enough space for everyone to have time to communicate and get to know one other, structured around high but achievable goals.
I have a tendency towards bounding enthusiasm and Marisa's judgement about what we could fit into each session was spot-on. The result was a very high standard of visual communication of costume ideas and a solid understanding of character from all attendees.

It was great fun as well as a learning experience and I'm sure all of us 'outsiders' found being in the V&A once a week, and calling it work, a pleasure in itself.

Marisa's blog post with more detail is here.
And the V&A's Director mentioned the classes in last night's Evening Standard.

I have been asked to join the industry jury who will select the final BAFTA Crew group members once the application deadline closes on Monday.

I was really pleased to be offered this opportunity but slightly dismayed by Regional Programmer and Events Producer, Katie Campbell's email -

    'Applications from the Costume Design sector have been slightly slower compared to the other departments. We think it is vital for new talent in Costume Design to be properly represented in BAFTA Crew so would hugely appreciate your help spreading the word to your colleagues, juniors, trainees and assistants. Anyone in your department who has two or more broadcast or feature credits and lives in the English Regions and lives outside the capital is eligible.'

Somehow or other, despite the efforts of many, the Costume Department often feels slightly disconnected from what's going on around it and under-represented in areas where other departments seem to be more on the ball.
I'm not sure why this is, maybe we just don't have the time but it does often feel like we have missed a beat.

Why exactly have applications been slower from our department?

I can't answer that but I can pass on the application information -

Apply here before February 18th for a chance to join BAFTA Crew.