The Art of Set Design
The first course dedicated entirely around learning the art of set design and stage management was a complete success!
Promoted by OmA – Ente Cassa di Risparmio of Florence and created by Riccardo Ventrella, director of the Pergola Theater. The course taught 30 art students, most of whom had already completed their three years of studies at the Accademia di Belle Arte, the intricacies of set design and the technical details of successful stage management.
Because there were more applicants than spots available beyond the original 20 allotted, ten more students were selected through a motivational colloquium, held near the theater so as to assure their admission into the course.
A craft such as that of set designer cannot be lost to the deficiencies of memory: it’s for this reason that the leading technician and stage managers of the Pergola Theater were so enthusiastic about teaching this class. With the full support of the Osservatorie dei Mestieri d’Arte and the Ente Cassa di Risparmio of Florence, these instructors designed this course with the objective of teaching the rudiments of set design, including the preparation and the mounting and staging of a theatrical performance.
Students who participated in this course have for the most part already experienced working in the realm of theatrical design, through coursework at the Accademia di Belle Arte or at other institutes with ties to the art of stage and set design. But they opted to complete this additional course to further hone their focus and proficiency of set design, along with learning the more organizational aspects involved in bringing a theatrical production to life. During the 40-hour course, twelve hours were devoted to the theory of set design and the rest were spent mastering the practical aspects—and the art—of set design. The best news? Several of our students have already found positions as set designers with theatrical companies throughout Italy.
