My placement experience has been a trialing yet rewarding experience. Currently I am taking my placement through the Lyric Theatre Belfast, within the costume department. This blog will explore the initial experience in acquiring the placement as well as my attendance in my very first technical rehearsal, in which I attended the rehearsal of Burnt Out. In analyzing these I will be using the Borton’s reflective model (Borton 1970, summarized by Jasper in 2013). This developmental framework was chosen due to the nature of the placement, as this reflective tool utilizes the breakdown of the experience after it occurs. Often within theatre creative departments, tasks are presented and reflected upon after the production is staged. Jasper within Beginning reflective practice describes Borton’s model as a reflexive model as opposed to a reflective practice, ‘This means that the reflective spiral is created, as the action takes place in order to change the experience rather than simply to learn from it.’ (Jasper, 2013) a cyclical experience in reflection. Alongside this, I will also employ the use of Boud et al’s model (1985). In using Boud’s model, it will aid in developing the experiences in the initial introduction of the description of the events, using elements of the experience(s) section of this model, to incorporate behavior, ideas and feelings into the initial ‘what’ section of Borton’s model. This blog will be structured taking each section of Borton’s model separately to analyze what occurred during the initial experiences of the placement and how this impacted my learning experience.
Borton’s reflective model (1970)
Boud et al reflective model (1985)
Getting the Placement
What? – Describe the events
I struggled to gain a placement. I was emailing several companies and venues with the hopes of securing a costuming or sound technician shadowing placements, with little luck. In a last attempt to gain a placement prior to classes beginning at the start of the autumn semester, I got in contact with the head of Lyric Theatre Belfast costume department. After waiting for her return back from leave, I was left with a very short timeframe in which to accept and talk about the placement with her, as well as to receive and upload the completed documents necessary for the attendance of the module. This was a very stressful time, due to the importance of the necessary documents required to continue within the module, needing to be uploaded by the end of September, otherwise, I would be required to move to another module. This left me dejected for a time, beginning to resign to choosing another class to move into, as well as disappointed as I was looking forward to working within the industry prior to graduating my degree.
So what? – Why the event was significant
The initial acquisition of a placement was significant as it made me aware of the opportunities available within Belfast for creative industries, as well as the experience required to work within technical environments even as a student looking for placement. Not only was I applying to various companies and venues for either costume or sound tech, as I wished to develop my skills in tech but was aware my prior experience and skill set was catered more towards a creative department. Those of the companies and venues who responded to me wished for more experience, did not have in-house technicians/ creative departments or did not have the room for another student. This was very nerve racking, despite some lovely responses from companies, some suggesting alternative places to contact or offering placements outside of my initial inquiries, which I did not wish to pursue.
Now what? – Use of this information for the future
Due to the struggle I had in acquiring the placement, it has solidified the importance of gaining experience through working on amatuer productions to strengthen my resume if I wish to go further within the technical departments of theatre through shadowing professionals. As well as this, I have learned the importance of contacting companies in conjunction and in advance of a production release, as to ensure that I can aid and work on the sets and costumes prior to just the busy periods such as Christmas. This was important as due to my late contacting of the Lyric Theatre Belfast, I was unable to aid the costume department in working on the production of Burnt Out thus, other than sitting in on a technical rehearsal of this production, I had to wait a month to continue my placement, when they began production on their christmas shows; Hansel & Gretal and Grimes & McKee: Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas.
The Technical Rehearsal
What? – Describe the events
I arrived at the Lyric Theatre on the 4th of October to attend the technical rehearsal of Burnt Out. This was my very first time, outside of amateur productions, whereby I was able to sit in a full technical rehearsal. What awaited me was the end of act 1 of the production, in which I had to decipher the plot to understand what was occurring before me. Department managers were strewn across the lower seating area of the theatre; desks, computers and technical equipment, all normally hidden away in the booths or side stage, all brought down to one area so that conversations would easily occur between the directors and the department managers. This was very intimidating to say the least, watching important theatre professionals at work without being able to understand some of what was being discussed.
So what? – Why the event was significant
This event was significant as it was the first introduction to the costume department and the team in which I would see during the duration of the placement. I was able to see how the costume department moved throughout the rehearsal through a tour given to me by the costume assistant, who stayed backstage during the performance as a dresser for the cast. As well as, through sitting with the head of department as she adapted costumes and edited her costume tracking spreadsheet. It allowed me to see first hand how the team works together to ensure that actors are dressed in quick turnovers and with the outfits planned for the specified scene.
Now what? – Use of this information for the future
Attending this aided me in understanding the dynamic between departments of the theatre production, I was able to process the crossovers and connections between elements of the departments. Understanding the difference between what is considered stage team and what was the costume team, how this overlaps with effects such as fake blood or how the moment that a coat is set down, it becomes a prop that the stage management team must track on stage. Effects such as fake blood is something that the stage management will test and trial, ensuring that the costume is not damaged and is able to be reset for the next show in laundry by the costume team. All elements which I understood in theory, but it was not until I witnessed the complexities of some specific crossovers, that I understood how a large production managed them. These effects are something that significantly interests me within a theatre environment, and has allowed me a greater understanding of designation of roles between the departments as well as a potential avenue to explore in the future.
Closing notes
Costuming has always been a fascination of mine, the ability to work and build with my hands on articles of clothing which become integral to the storytelling is an amazing pleasure. The Lyric theatre has a fantastic team which work in house to create and design intricate outfits for their productions. The costume designers and assistants within the theatre, design costumes based on the scripts and notes from the production designer and will then order elements of them such as a button up shirt or nightgowns, or alternatively will build them from scrap such as for the Christmas productions I had the pleasure of watching being built from the bare pattern. The Lyric theatre’s costume department was ultimately the optimal place to have my placement occur due to the versatility of the department. As well as this, this theatre is a space in which several in-house productions occur within the span of a few months of one another, thus with the constant turn around, the costume department is often busy with making.
In conclusion, the initial experiences of my placement has been an informative venture into the professional theatre environment, the connections and overlaps between departments as well as the exciting prospect of being able to help costume makers build a tangible outfit from fabric and thread, and sometimes the odd straw. Despite the trouble I experienced in the initial attempts to gain a placement across the technical field, I am glad that I was able to work with the amazing people in the Lyric Theatre’s costume department.
Bibliography
Boud, D, Keogh, R, & Walker, D (eds). (1985). Reflection : Turning Experience into Learning. ProQuest Ebook Central [Online]Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qub/detail.action?docID=1461054 (Accessed: 16th November 2023)
Jasper, M. (2013). Beginning reflective practice. Second edition, p. 102.VLE. [Online] Available at: https://www.vlebooks.com/Vleweb/Product/Index/496302?page=0 (Accessed: 14th November 2023).