Ready, set, go!: Teaching set design

My first conversation with Sam Beal immediately piqued my interest. During the 2021 lockdown, he told me about the time he had taken shoeboxes from skips and used them to create set model boxes, as part of a project with Theatre Peckham. Immediately, I knew this would be something teachers would love. From there, we worked together to create and deliver a free online Think Like a Designer webinar called ‘Shoebox Theatre’. It was hugely popular, with hundreds of teachers taking part and starting to use the resources to create schemes of work across Key Stages 3 to 5.

Beal is a multidisciplinary designer who produces designs for touring plays, immersive performance and intimate live art installations, with a wide range of influences from popular culture and fashion to history and architecture. In his work, Beal continues to use education and experimentation to explore the medium of scenic design. I was keen to catch up with Beal to discuss his tips and practical ideas for teaching set design, even with minimal resources.