Happy Millennium! The Costume Working Group of the Scenography Commission of OISTAT met in Antwerp Belgium from the 29th of September until the 3rd of October, 1999. We were hosted by Jerome Maeckelbergh and his wife Christa at their beautiful 17th Century home near the center of the historic city of Antwerp. We all thank them for their exceptional hospitality. The first item of business was communication. We made many good friends and had very meaningful discussions. It was a wish for everyone that this communication should continue.
This report is in three sections:
Section I. The ideas for how the Costume Working Group can function.
Section II. Future meetings and activities.
Section III. A report of the activities in Antwerp at the Scenography Commission Meetings.
29 September 1999, 16:00 hours. - We met in the garden courtyard of Jerome Maekelbergh's house. Laura Crow read a message from Sarah Nash Gates regretfully resigning as the Chair of the Costume Working Group. She has too many obligations and she is not able to accomplish enough between meetings. She sends her greetings to one and all. Laura Crow agreed to be the consensus choice as a replacement chair until the next Scenography Commission meeting. In Bregenz, Austria, August 19-23, 2000, a new chair will be elected from within the Costume Working Group members for a four-year term.
Costume Working Group
| In Attendance were: | Not in Attendance: |
| Belgium - Rita Geerts Chile - Ruby Goldstein Czech Republic - Simona Rybakova Israel - Tali Itzhaki Great Britain - Peter Ruthven Hall Japan - Kazue Hatano Chika Kato Korea - Na Rae Hong Netherlands - Rien Bekkers Phillipines - Rolando Meriales de Leon Sweden - Gunilla Bodin USA - Laura Crow Marianne Custer Margaret Mitchell Serbia and Montenegro - Angelina Atlagic |
Canada - Robert Doyle Alison Green China - Zhao Wei Yui, vice-chair Estonia - Linia Lint Finland - Maija Pekkanen, vice-chair Hungary - Erzsebet Ek Mexico - Eugenio Servin USA - Sarah Nash Gates Susan Tsu |
Members are encouraged to solicit membership from non-member countries, particularly in South America and Asia. ASEAN members to be attending the OISTAT meetings in the Philippines include: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
The first order of business was to understand who we are and what is our purpose. A Working Group is the appropriate name for a Sub-Committee. We are a Sub-Committee within the Scenography Commission. Our Chair is an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Scenography Commission. The Chair is requested to be in attendance at the Scenography Commission Meetings to report on activities within the Costume Working Group (CWG). The CWG was founded by Sarah Nash Gates and it has had one major meeting with 40 attendants in Las Vegas 1995 during the USITT meetings. The group also contributed to programming at the PQ in 1999. The CWG was invited to participate in the Scenography Commission meeting at Antwerp and give a report of future plans. For the immediate future our plan is to find a method of communication and exchange among the members. The CWG members will share ideas with other constituents in each member country. We will begin a web site in the spring of 2000, which will be presented at the next Scenography Commission Meeting in Bregenz.
The Costume Working Group decided that for the sake of continuity, we need to have meetings more often than once in four years. We decided that we should plan parallel Upcoming Eventsto the Scenography Commission meetings at the same time and place and continue to report to the Commission. All agreed that it would be best to focus on the specialty of the host country for program ideas.
In this manner, we could continue to travel and learn. The Scenography Meeting in Bregenz, Austria is to be focused on Lighting and Sound Working Groups, but we are encouraged to come and form a parallel meeting for the Costume Working Group.
Many participants felt it would be hard to get funding for each year, but wanted to stay connected to the Upcoming Eventsand to other members. Those who could not afford to attend could stay connected through communication. This is why the idea of a web site evolved. Since the Internet and email are a shared expense, each member of the Costume Working Group could find an email address to use as a base for communication. It was agreed that we would all try to check in at least one time each week to maintain communication and future planning. Email addresses and web site information are to be sent to Laura Crow by the end of April, 2000 at : laura.crow@uconn.edu.us
Information to be collected by member countries:
Please provide bi-lingual information in the official language (English) and the language of the contributing nation.
From your country:
Database of Costume Designers
Research Databases
Education and training
Upcoming Events
Links to complimentary sites.
Chat Room
The Costume Working Group web site, separate from the email communication, will exist within the Scenography web site, which is within the OISTAT web site. Gustaf Kull will maintain the web site once it is created. Please submit what you can even if it is just a few names. We have to start somewhere and the web site can continue to grow even after it is established. It's initial importance will be in the number of nations participating even if it is just one or two contact persons under the name of each country.
Future meeting options are: Boulder Colorado, USA - March 22 - 25, 2000
USITT Meetings Sessions:
"South African Design"
"Creating International Opportunities"
"PQ99 Discussion"
"OISTAT Information Session/The Costume Working Group"
Santiago de Cuba - July 3 - 9, 2000
The 20th Caribbean Festival (Feast of Fire) Dedicated to Africa
Costumes and Groups from: Trinidad, Remedios, Camajuani, Havana, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, and from all 14 Cuban Provinces.
Arrive Havana June 29 or 30. See Havana plus Varadero Beach trip.
Proceed on to Santiago de Cuba after 3 days.
Festival of Dance, Music and Folklore
Colloquia on Caribbean Identity, African presence in the Caribbean, Magical-Religious Systems, Archaeology, Social Communication, Music, History and Culture.
Tropicana Santiago Nightclub Show with Cuban culture
Workshops with Cuban Costumers and Scenographers
Daily Parades and Festival
15-day package trip arranged for $1000.
Bregenz, Austria - August 19 - 23, 2000
Annual Scenography Commission Meetings
Focus Working Group: Light and Sound Design
Costume Working Group: Election of New Chair, Presentation of Web Site
Long Beach, California, USA - March 21-24, 2001- USITT Meetings
OISTAT Costume Working Group Meeting
Costume Designers "Share Secrets"
Tours of Film Studio Costume Shops, Back Lots and Sound Stages
"Computer Generated Costume Design for Television"
Berlin, Germany - June 2001 - OISTAT General Meeting
Working Groups are encouraged to create exhibits, which promote Scenography and Technology.
Manila, Philippines - November 12 - 17, 2001
Annual Scenography Commission Meetings
Focus Working Group: Multi-Media Design
Costume Working Group: Tours of Batik Fabric Workshops
Draped Fabric Design Competition done on site
London, England - 2002 -
Annual Scenography Commission Meetings
Focus Working Group: Film and Television Design
Prague, Czech Republic - 2003 PQ.
In Antwerp, we read and discussed the long and thoughtful letter from Maija Pekkanen, the vice-Chair of the Scenography Commission, a Costume Designer from Finland. She wrote of the complications, which will arise when there are too many people at the Commission meetings. It becomes very difficult to accomplish anything when there are too many people. She stressed that Costume Design, Lighting Design, Sound Design, and Scenic Design are all sub-groups within Scenography. In addition we will be adding Special Effects and Multimedia Design, Film and Television Design. These all have proposed separate Working Groups within the Scenography Commission. Do all of these people who gather as a Working Group meet only once every four years? All of these people will not find financial support for travel to meetings every year. We are lucky to find funding for one representative from each country. Even if the funding could be found, the Commission Meetings would become too large. The OISTAT meetings present a "life long study," a University for its members. It takes much time and strong leadership to present valuable projects for study at the meetings. There is the talent within the members for such programs, but the leadership is needed to make the Upcoming Eventshappen differently if the membership is to be greatly expanded.
There was much discussion of economics and politics and the role of the artist. Rita Geerts from Belgium discussed her frustration with the lack of funds for production of live theatre in her country. More and more designers are turning to television for a way to earn a living. She offered to take interested parties to visit the TV studio where she is working. Gunilla Bodin from Sweden talked about her experiences designing with the actress/director Bibi Anderson on pieces for war-torn Bosnians. The experience has changed her feeling about the power of live theatre. When the bombings were worst, people came to the theatre out of need for companionship and communication. Miodrag Tabacki and Angelina Atlagic also spoke about the hardship of artists during the past year in Serbia and Montenegro. There was much discussion of the war in the Balkans since there was a Kosovar Refugee family also staying at the home of Jerome Maeckelbergh during this time. Ruby Goldstein discussed her production of "Women With Dark Braids." It dealt with the plight of the Indians of the Andes and water shortages. Margaret Mitchell discussed working with Moari war dances from New Zealand as a way to purge gang aggression among the Hispanic community of Southwest Texas in the United States. Both Margaret Mitchell and Marianne Custer discussed the value of importing controversial directors from very different cultures to work with academic institutions. It is very inspiring for Designers to learn to work within a different aesthetic. We also talked of the very great value of designer exchanges whenever possible.
Before the commission meeting began, there was a one-day tour of theatres in Belgium organized by Jerome Maeckelbergh. The first stop was to tour the Grand Square from the Golden Age of Brussels. We enjoyed the architecture and ambiance of the 17th century. This was followed by a tour of Theatre Royal de la Monnaie. The restoration is quite beautiful, but best is the lofty rehearsal hall on the top floor with glass walls opening out to balconies on either side of the theatre overlooking the city. The set for "The Abduction from the Seraglio" by Mozart was on stage.
We left La Monnaie by bus to visit the ABD Lighting Facility who had sponsored our trip to Brussels and Gent.. ABD treated us to a reception with food and demonstrations of their latest equipment. We returned to the bus and traveled on to Gent where we visited two other charming theatres. One was The Feestlokaal van Voruit, which has been in the restoration process for over 20 years. They have continued to try to raise money for their restoration by performances at various stages of completion. They will finally finish the restoration in January of 2000. They have already completed the restoration of a smaller theatre space, which is a combination theatre and club. The idea is to keep the space of vital interest to young people. The theatre restaurant is also a popular place. Our tour leader pointed out that the restaurant has two levels. One is the bar down below for the gentlemen to smoke and drink in. The restaurant up above is for the women who wish to keep an eye on their men!
We left this theatre and proceeded on foot to La Minard Theatre. La Minard is a very intimate 18th century theatre with three balconies shaped in a traditional horseshoe. On the other side of the proscenium arch, there is a new theatre, which reflects back towards the old. The new theatre is built with flexible seating, which expands from the rear cinder block wall. of the theatre. There are also two balcony levels on the sides, which repeat the balcony levels of the traditional theatre. The orchestra may be covered over in the old theatre to create one large arena theatre with balconies ringing the action over an oblong stage. This configuration is used for large fashion shows once each year.
We left La Minard Theatre and went to the great cathedral in Gent where we saw the famous Gent Altarpiece by the Van Eyck brothers. We marveled at the depiction of 16th century textiles so beautifully rendered. It was suspect in its day for glorifying the work of the donor who was a textile merchant.
After the Cathedral we were led on a sampling tour of Gent. We visited fine confectioners of Belgian chocolate and another confectioner who sold actual flowers preserved in a glaze of sugar, along with beautiful marzipan and jelly fruits. We visited a cheese shop and ended up at a 17th century tavern, which sold over 40 types of beer and all served in special glasses.
We had a very jovial time and then wandered around the city of Gent along the canals and around the medieval tower, which fortified the city for many years. We ended up at the National Theatre of Gent where we looked in upon a production of "Macbeth" and then had a long meal in the restaurant in the lobby of the theatre. After dinner we traveled back to Antwerp by bus ready for bed and the meetings, which lay ahead.
During the meetings in Antwerp, we visited the Hogeschool Antwerpen to see the graduating class scenographic works and admired the impressive fashion industry, especially the very sheer knit garments being layered one on top of the other. There was talk of organizing a second meeting in Antwerp in March of 2000, but it was determined that there was not enough time to organize such an event for this year. This option may be open to us for a future meeting and symposium.
1 October 1999 was the first official meeting of the Scenography Commission headed by In-Suk Suh, our chair, from Korea. Much of the meeting time was spent clarifying terms of the rules and guidelines. A clear outline of the report can be see on the web site at: www.OISTAT.nl/
Click on the Scenography button and then on the Minutes from the Meeting in Antwerp 1999 button, when you have opened the Scenography Homepage. Those of you, who do not have access to the Internet, please contact Laura Crow and the report will be faxed to you. FAX for Laura Crow is (860) 486-3110 in the United States. This is a dedicated FAX line, so messages may be sent any time of day. Make sure they are addressed to Laura Crow.
Prague Quadrennial.
There was a lengthy discussion of the Prague Quadrennial and what could or should be changed. Simona Rybakova pointed out that if we wanted to voice an opinion, it needed to be expressed within the next year. After that it would be too late to change plans.
The general feeling was that the PQ was a resounding success. Since the burden falls on the Czech Republic to host the event, we should be willing to abide by what they plan. There was a strong vote in support of the introduction of slide shows of productions from around the world. There was a wish to see more of them and more live performance.
Simona Rybakova discussed whether we should re-think the concept of jurors. It costs a lot of money to bring in the jurors and that money could be spent elsewhere. There is no guarantee that UNESCO will continue to fund a student prize.
Louis Jansen, from the Netherlands, raised the issue of exhibition costs. It is getting more and more difficult to raise funds for the exhibits. During the last PQ, the Netherlands chose to combine their National, Student and Theme exhibits into one. This disqualified them from the judging, but it was far more economical. It was suggested that support for this idea be raised with the PQ organizers.
In-Suk Suh brought up the need for more advertisements. This could be made easier if there were copyright privileges given to the promoters of the PQ by all of the participating artists. There was a suggestion that a general release form be drawn up for participants in the PQ. This would also allow for the digital images to be placed on the various web sites without having to contact all of the participants again in person.
The Costume Working Group of the Scenography Commission of OISTAT met in Antwerp Belgium from the 29th of September until the 3rd of October, 1999. We were hosted by Jerome Maeckelbergh and his wife Christa at their beautiful 17th Century home near the center of the historic city of Antwerp.
Laura Crow read a message from Sarah Nash Gates regretfully resigning as the Chair of the Costume Working Group. She has too many obligations and she is not able to accomplish enough between meetings. She sends her greetings to one and all. Laura Crow agreed to be the consensus choice as a replacement chair until the next Scenography Commission meeting. In Bregenz, Austria, August 19-23, 2000, a new chair will be elected from within the Costume Working Group members for a four year term.
The first order of business was to understand who we are and what is our purpose. A Working Group is the appropriate name for a Sub-Committee. We are a Sub-Committee within the Scenography Commission. Our Chair is an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Scenograhy Commission. The Chair is requested to be in attendance at the Scenography Commission Meetings to report on activities within the Costume Working Group (CWG). The CWG was founded by Sarah Nash Gates and it has had one major meeting with 40 attendants in Las Vegas 1995 during the USITT meetings. The group also contributed to programming at the PQ in 1999. The CWG was invited to participate in the Scenography Commission meeting at Antwerp and give a report of future plans. For the immediate future our plan is to find a method of communication and exchange among the members. The CWG members will share ideas with other constituents in each member country. We will begin a web site in the Spring of 2000 which will be presented at the next Scenography Commission Meeting in Bregenz.
The Costume Working Group decided that for the sake of continuity, we need to have meetings more often than once in four years. We decided that we should plan parallel Upcoming Eventsto the Scenography Commission meetings at the same time and place and continue to report to the Commission. All agreed that it would be best to focus on the specialty of the host country for program ideas.
In this manner, we could continue to travel and learn. The Scenography Meeting in Bregenz, Austria is to be focused on Lighting and Sound Working Groups, but we are encouraged to come and form a parallel meeting for the Costume Working Group.
Many participants felt it would be hard to get funding for each year, but wanted to stay connected to the Upcoming Eventsand to other members. Those who could not afford to attend could stay connected through communication. This is why the idea of a web site evolved. Since the Internet and email are a shared expense, each member of the Costume Working Group could find an email address to use as a base for communication. It was agreed that we would all try to check in at least one time each week to maintain communication and future planning.
Information to be collected by member countries:
Please provide bi-lingual information in the official language (English) and the language of the contributing nation.
From your country:
Database of Costume Designers
Research Databases
Education and training
Upcoming Events
Links to complimentary sites.
Chat Room
She wrote of the complications which will arise when there are too many people at the Commission meetings. It becomes very difficult to accomplish anything when there are too many people. She stressed that Costume Design, Lighting Design, Sound Design, and Scenic Design are all sub-groups within Scenography. In addition we will be adding Special Effects and Multimedia Design, Film and Television Design. These all have proposed separate Working Groups within the Scenography Commission. Do all of these people who gather as a Working Group meet only once every four years? All of these people will not find financial support for travel to meetings every year. We are lucky to find funding for one representative from each country. Even if the funding could be found, the Commission Meetings would become too large. The OISTAT meetings present a "life long study," a University for its members. It takes much time and strong leadership to present valuable projects for study at the meetings.
Gunilla Bodin from Sweden talked about her experiences designing with the actress/director Bibi Anderson on pieces for war-torn Bosnians. The experience has changed her feeling about the power of live theatre. When the bombings were worst, people came to the theatre out of need for companionship and communication. Miodrag Tabacki and Angelina Atlagic also spoke about the hardship of artists during the past year in Serbia and Montenegro. There was much discussion of the war in the Balkans since there was a Kosovar Refugee family also staying at the home of Jerome Maeckelbergh during this time. Ruby Goldstein discussed her production of "Women With Dark Braids." It dealt with the plight of the Indians of the Andes and water shortages. Margaret Mitchell discussed working with Moari war dances from New Zealand as a way to purge gang aggression among the Hispanic community of Southwest Texas in the United States. Both Margaret Mitchell and Marianne Custer discussed the value of importing controversial directors from very different cultures to work with academic institutions. It is very inspiring for Designers to learn to work within a different aesthetic. We also talked of the very great value of designer exchanges whenever possible.
Bregenz, Austria - August 19 - 23, 2000
Annual Scenography Commission Meetings
Focus Working Group: Light and Sound Design
Costume Working Group: Election of New Chair, Presentation of Web Site
Long Beach, California, USA - March 21-24, 2001- USITT Meetings
OISTAT Costume Working Group Meeting
Costume Designers "Share Secrets"
Tours of Film Studio Costume Shops, Back Lots and Sound Stages
"Computer Generated Costume Design for Television"
Berlin, Germany - June 2001 - OISTAT General Meeting
Working Groups are encouraged to create exhibits which promote Scenograhy and Technology.
Manila, Phillipines - November 12 - 17, 2001
Annual Scenography Commission Meetings
Focus Working Group: Multi-Media Design
Costume Working Group: Tours of Batik Fabric Workshops
Draped Fabric Design Competition done on site
London, England - 2002 -
Annual Scenography Commission Meetings
Focus Working Group: Film and Television Design
Prague, Czech Republic - 2003 PQ.
