Research

Scenography as a co-author in the creation of performances. Scenography as alternative and co–dependent ‘text’, with Quarantine theatre company: issues and territory surrounding working with ‘experts of the everyday’, untrained performers, creating a highly theatricalised anti theatrical aesthetic, relational environments, and a desire to create ‘situations' in work that is situated on the borders of theatre and dance. The integration of a relational scenography within the creation and commissioning of contemporary Opera/music Theatre.

Biography

Simon Banham has spent the past 30 years working as a freelance Scenographer/Theatre Designer. He was Head of Design (1991-1995) at Contact Theatre, Manchester, and has a long and continuing relationship with Music Theatre Wales. Most of his current work is with Quarantine, the company he co-founded with directors Richard Gregory and Renny O’Shea in 1998.

Since September 1999 he has taught in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television at Aberystwyth University.

Teaching

Scenography and Theatre Design.

TP10420 Scenography Workshop

TP 10640 Production Project

TP 30120 Analysing Performance

TP30220 Key Theatre Practices

TP22320 Principles of Scenography

TP22420 Process of Scenography

TP22520 Scenographic Composition

TP22620 Theatre Design Project

TP33940 Advanced Production Project

TP36040 Dissertation

TP34440 Advanced Scenographic Project

TP 32820 Place, Space and Landscape

Publications

Design (recent):

Coriolan/us (Performance) National Theatre Wales (2012)

Greek (Performance) Music Theatre Wales (2011)

Entitled (Performance) Quarantine (2011)

In the Penal colony (Performance) Music Theatre Wales (2010)

The Soldier’s Song (installation) Quarantine (2010)

The Persians (performance) National Theatre Wales (2010)

La Traviata (performance) Den Nye Opera, Bergen (2010)

The Slightest Movement (performance) Quarantine (2010)

Make Believe (Performance) Quarantine (2009)

For You (Performance) Music Theatre Wales (2009)

Coming and Going (performance) Quarantine (2008)

Old people, children and animals (performance) Quarantine (2008)

Rebekka (Performance) Norwegian National Opera, Oslo (2007)

Publications/Presentations:

Invited Speaker Staging Space Conference at the V&A, London (2012)

Guest Speaker Quarantine’s work Liverpool institute for Performing Arts (2012)

Keynote speaker Going out S.B.T.D. and Equity Symposium , RWCMD, Cardiff (2011)

Invited speaker Writing Scenography TaPRA Scenography working group, V&A, London (2010)

The people in the room chapter in Crawley & White (eds.) No more Drama, project Press, (2012)

impossible things before breakfast ‘e’ book published by Quarantine in association with the video documentation on Make Believe (2010)

Coming and Going: images for a production in process essay in Harsløf, O & Hannah,D (eds) Performance Design, Museum Tusculanum Press, pp 212-225, (2008)

7:30 for 8:00: Cooking with my daughters essay in Burnett, K. (ed.) Collaborators – UK design for Performance 2003-2007 S.B.T.D. 2007. pp 8-13, (2007)

Exhibitions:

The Persians Transformation and Revelation at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London which forms part of the museum’s larger Olympic year exhibition, A Celebration of British Design 1948-2012: Innovation in the Modern Age. (2012)

For You Transformation and Revelation UK design for performance 2007 – 2011, Cardiff (2011)

Rebekka (Norwegian National Opera), For You (Music Theatre Wales), Grace (Quarantine) were all invited for exhibition at World Stage Design 2009, Seoul, Korea, (2009)

Susan & Darren- Quarantine, Theatre Collections galleries, Victoria & Albert Museum, London in Design for Performance: National Theatre Design Exhibition (2008)

Rantsoen- Quarantine, Ghent & Ion – Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg World Stage Design 2005: Toronto, Canada, (2005)

Nokon Kyem Til a Komme – Opera Vest, Bergen (Exhibition) 2D>3D: National Performance Design Exhibition, Touring (2002)

Threepenny Opera – Contact Theatre, Manchester Prague Quadrennial: International Performance Design Exhibition – Gold medal awarded to British entry. (1995)

Additional Interests

The Persians designed by Simon Banham/Mike Brookes for National Theatre Wales won the TMA (Theatre management Association) ‘Best Design 2010’ award.

Greek designed by Simon Banham) for Music Theatre Wales was awarded ‘Outstanding Achievement in Opera’ for 2011 presented by Theatre Awards UK.