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The Linbury Prize for Stage Design Exhibition

The Linbury Prize logo in orange

The Linbury Prize for Stage Design Exhibition

Exhibition in the Lyttelton Lounge
From Tuesday 3 December 
Free during opening hours 

Please note the exhibition will be closed to the public until 14:00 on Thurs 30 January.

Please note the exhibition will be closed to the public from 15:00 on Thurs 20 February

The Linbury Prize for Stage Design Exhibition is the only competition of its kind in the UK. This exhibition includes stage designs, model boxes and costume drawings for four new UK based productions by 12 stage young designers.

Founded in 1987 by Anya Sainsbury, the Linbury Prize for Stage Design has helped discover and launch the careers of more than 200 talented young stage designers. It offers an unparalleled opportunity for exposure and success at a crucial moment in their careers. This year, designers Katrina Lindsay, Rajha Shakiry and Lizzie Clachan were invited to judge the work of 99 entrants, drawn from recent graduates of theatre design courses at colleges across the country. They selected 20 designers to present their work to the directors or choreographers of our commissioning companies: Birmingham Royal Ballet, Leeds Playhouse, Nuffield Southampton Theatres and Octagon Theatre Bolton.

Each company then selected the three designers with whom to collaborate, asking them to create designs for their forthcoming production. From the 12 designers whose work is exhibited here four have been selected, one from each production, as Winners of the Linbury Prize for Stage Design 2019. The Prize itself is the commission to realise their designs on stage. 

2019 marks 30 years since the Linbury Prize was first held at the National Theatre. The first exhibition for emerging designers took place in 1987 at the Theatre Museum, arranged by Anya Sainsbury. Later, more conversations between Anya Sainsbury and friends in the theatre design world led to the idea of creating a biennial prize for young designers. In 1989, having approached the then Director of the National Theatre, Richard Eyre, the first Linbury Biennial Prize for Stage Design was held at the NT. The enthusiastic endorsement of subsequent NT Directors Trevor Nunn, Nicholas Hytner and Rufus Norris, means that the Prize is still held here. This unique project continues to champion young designers today. Over the 30 years, more than 1,200 young designers have entered the Linbury Prize for Stage Design.

The Linbury Prize Committee consists of Caro Newling (Chair), Jon Bausor, Sean Crowley, Sophie Jump, Paul Handley, Katrina Lindsay, Christopher Oram, Tom Piper, David Pritchard and Anya Sainsbury.