Master in Fine Art - Stage Design (lighting design, set design and costume design)

Course details

The Stage Design programme is purposely designed to allow students to either specialise on one area of stage design (set, costume OR lighting design) or to combine disciplines as desired (set AND costume design for example, or set AND lighting design). The course is designed to complement the existing Master in Fine Art (Playwriting) and the Master in Fine Art (Theatre Directing). Students on all three programmes will work together in collaboration, developing a shared understanding of contemporary theatre practice and a collective appreciation of the dedication and commitment required to make innovative performances happen. In addition to the core classes and workshops, individual and group tuition from The Lir’s Head of Design will be a key feature of the training. In addition, master classes by visiting practitioners will supplement the student experience. Professional placements are a key feature of the programme and all students will showcase their work in public productions at the culmination of the course. Students can opt to take this course either part-time (24 months) or full-time (12 months). Full-time and part-time students will take three concurrent modules in the first two terms. The final module (Production Design) will be taught in the third term and subsequent summer months (for full-time students) or in the second year of the course (for part-time students) and will culminate with a professional production staged in one of The Lir’s performance studios. Term Three will be supplemented by an ongoing series of master classes from professional directors and theatre makers. Students on the Master in Fine Art (Stage Design) will take two compulsory modules and choose two of four elective modules.

Contemporary Theatre Practice

This compulsory module will introduce students to a range of contemporary theatre practices. It will focus on Irish and international artists and companies, with a particular emphasis on contemporary productions staged in the theatres of Dublin. The principal aim of the course is to enable students to become conversant in the styles, forms, theories and practices that constitute contemporary theatre making in Ireland and across the world. The Contemporary Theatre Practice module is shared by all Master in Fine Art students (directors, designers and playwrights).

Production Design

The aim of this compulsory module is to enable students to apply the skills acquired in their elective design modules to the development of their individual creative voice and practice, and in the design of one the final MFA productions. This module will be taught in the third term and over the summer months through individual supervision of two placements as assistant to a professional designer, and in the realisation of a design for public viewing in one of The Lir studios.

Set Design Workshop

This module aims to develop the student’s set design skills through weekly workshops exploring a range of dramatic and post-dramatic texts from various historical periods, as well as nurturing technical competence in the realisation of the student’s own design. The module will be taught over two terms in a series of workshops led by a professional designer. It aims to nurture the student’s design skills through project based learning devised to develop the student’s creative practice. These workshops will introduce students to the processes of historical research as well as the technical skills in the realisation of a design, including drawing, model-making, computer assisted design (CAD), and communication with other theatre professionals in the production process. Students will present their own practice in weekly tutorials for discussion and critique. In addition students will maintain a weekly journal of reflective practice in which they will analyse their process. In addition students will maintain a weekly journal of reflective practice in which they will analyse their process.

Costume Design Workshop

Similar to the Set Design Workshop this module aims to develop the student’s costume design skills through weekly workshops exploring a range of dramatic and post-dramatic texts from various historical periods, as well as nurturing technical competence in the realisation of the student’s own design. This module will be taught over two terms in a series of workshops led by a professional designer. It aims to nurture the student’s design skills through workshops aimed at developing the student’s creative practice. Those workshops will introduce students to the processes of historical research as well as the technical skills in the realisation of a design, including wardrobe maintenance, and communication with other theatre professionals in the production process. Students will present their own practice in weekly workshops for discussion and critique. In addition students will maintain a weekly journal of reflective practice in which they will analyse their process.

Lighting Design Workshop

This module will be taught over two terms in a series of workshops by a professional lighting designer. It aims to nurture the student’s design skills through workshops aimed at developing the student’s creative practice. Those workshops will examine the nature of light and its qualities, together with the functions of stage lighting, the role of lighting in theatre, with particular emphasis on the engagement of a director with stage lighting. Students will explore the relationship between lighting design and other design elements, e.g. costume design, set design. The mechanics of stage lighting will be covered in detail to include the principles of electricity, optics, light sources and theatre lanterns. Students will learn how to choose lighting instruments, calculate lighting angles, control light distribution etc., and will learn the basic principles of scale drawing, and how to produce a lighting plan. Other topics covered will include control systems, computer aided design, colour, and special effects. Students will maintain a weekly journal of reflective practice in which they will analyse their process.

Dramaturgy for Stage Design

This module will be taught over two terms a professional dramaturge and aims to introduce students to a range of dramatic texts with an emphasis on the dramaturgical composition of those texts. An understanding of the contexts within which those dramaturgical strategies were produced will also be fostered. This seminar and workshop based module requires students to examine key problems related to the creation and structure of play scripts in relation to scenography. Students will consider a variety of theories regarding dramatic structure, style and form, explore different approaches to text analysis from a designer’s perspective and learn to apply a scenographic vocabulary to a number of case studies. Classes will be in the form of workshops and seminars that will be in part practical in order for the practitioner to better understand how the play works in addition to what it means, as well as to engage with the lighting and spatial demands and possibilities of the dramaturgical structure of playtexts.