Costume Workshops, Royal Shakespeare Company
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![A man looks through an internal window at a workshop space in the background. To his left is an artwork labelled "Milinery & Jewellery" featuring silhouettes of industry tools.]()
A series of artworks celebrating the craft of costume making, makers and their tools.
For the Royal Shakespeare Company, Costume Workshop, Stratford upon Avon, 2021, NHFL & ACE Open Funded, Permanent installation, for staff and visitors on guided tours.
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![A person walks past a black and white poster mounted on a brick wall. The poster is titled "Western History of Costume Making" with silhouettes of a sewing machine, clothes hanger and tools.]()
The RSC Costume Workshop in Stratford-upon-Avon was restored and redeveloped in 2021 to make the historic site fit for contemporary purposes. We provided new interpretation and a series of artworks which shed light on the activities of the costume workshops, for staff and visitors.
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![A large tabletop antique sewing machine stands in front of a black and white poster depicting silhouettes of scissors, spools of thread and other workshop tools.]()
We worked in close collaboration with the RSC team to develop a series of interpretive panels beside various workshops. We photographed tools used in each workshop to create striking graphic silhouettes for each panel, printed to the reverse of a clear cutting mat. The art installations support guided tours of the building, providing key information and a visual cohesion across the site.
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![A metal and wooden bench next to a low brick wall. On the wall is a metal screen with cut-out shapes of various plants. In the background are white-bricked buildings.]()
A new central courtyard space was introduced to foster a sense of communal working. We designed and built bespoke benches and screens to create a comfortable gathering area.
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![A close-up of laser-cut shapes in red rusted metal, showing intricate flower and leaf patterns.]()
The screens were laser-cut from corten, and depicted flowers and plants from Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale. The patterns were created as part of a co-creation open day in Stratford-upon-Avon with local communities.
