Career Insight: Performance and Illusion

Join the V&A Youth Collective as they explore the role of technology in performance design careers.

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The world of performance and design is rapidly evolving, but how deeply is technology shaping this transformation? 

This event will explore the intersection between technology and creativity and focus on its impacts on performance design. The panel will discuss the role of technology in crafting surreal performance realities through innovative set design and props, explore what career opportunities are available in the field, and consider the importance of networking and relationship building in professional growth. 

Joining us for the panel discussion will be
Lucy Osborne , Set & Costume Designer and Founder and Creative Director of studio three sixty.
Alexander Whitley, Choreographer & Artistic Director of the Alexander Whitley Dance Company 

After a panel discussion there will be an opportunity to connect with other attendees and discuss performance art and design careers with the speakers. 

This event is hosted and co-produced by the V&A Youth Collective.
 
This event will be live streamed to online audiences from the V&A Museum. Book a ticket on this page to join us online, or click here to join the live audience at the V&A.

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Lucy Osborne is a theatre designer who has worked extensively across the UK, Scandinavia, the United States and Canada. She is also founding Director of studio three sixty.  studio three sixty activate public space through cultural events, contemporary art installations, community engagement, and sustainable urban design. With a mission to create equitable, inclusive, and inspirational places, studio three sixty work at the intersection of design, architecture, and social impact. Their award-winning projects include Roundabout, the world’s first flat-pack theatre and winner of The Stage Award’s Theatre Building of the Year.  The studio is currently leading the delivery of a large-scale public art programme as part of Theatr Clwyd’s capital redevelopment. 

Lucy is also a trustee of the Theatres Trust, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a member of the Editorial Board for the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference (2019 and 2023), advocating for more inclusive and sustainable performance spaces across the UK and internationally.

THEATRE INCLUDES: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC); Fisherman’s Friends the Musical (UK tour/Canada); The Osmonds (UK tour); The Famous Five: A New Musical (Theatr Clwyd/Chichester Festival Theatre); Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Chateau Neuf, Norway); Grease (German Tour); The Assassination of Katie Hopkins (Theatr Clwyd); Cabaret (Gothenburg Opera); Margrethe (Royal Theatre, Denmark); God’s Dice (Soho); Rutherford and Son, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Sheffield Crucible); Les Misérables (Wermland Opera); Privacy (Donmar Warehouse/Public Theatre, New York); Coriolanus, Bérénice, The Recruiting Officer (Donmar Warehouse); A Pacifist’s Guide to War on Cancer (National Theatre/Complicité). Forthcoming work includes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Gothenburg Opera) and the Scandinavian premiere of Flowers for Mrs Harris (Wermland Opera).

Alexander Whitley is an award-winning choreographer whose work with digital technology has placed him at the forefront of innovation in contemporary dance. His multi-disciplinary practice, focusing on the use of motion-tracking and interactive technology, spans stage, installation, film, and immersive platforms.
 
Alexander has held affiliations with the UK’s most respected dance institutions including Sadler’s Wells, the Royal Ballet and Rambert, and has created work for many of the UK’s leading companies. Founding Alexander Whitley Dance Company in 2014, his productions have toured theatres around the world and have been presented at festivals including London Film Festival, SXSW, Mediale and Romaeuropa. 
 
In 2024 Alexander launched the Digital Body Festival, a new event in East London celebrating the intersection of the moving body and digital technology. He lectures on Design for Performance and Interaction at The Bartlett School of Architecture and sits on the Board of Governors for The Royal Ballet. 


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