Yesterday, Wednesday 7 June 2023, the Royal Opera House celebrated the 2023 winners of its prestigious Design Challenge – a nation-wide competition that opens the door to the arts, providing an opportunity for young people across the country to get invaluable insight into vocational careers. Dan Potterton won in the set design category and Diyora Sodikova won in the costume design category. Both were recognised for the real skill, originality and creativity of their submissions.

Design Challenge is a free, hands-on programme that provides students with practical insight into technical and production practice, encouraging them to apply their understanding to a professional context, and develop the skills required to embark on a career in technical theatre craft. Launched in 2011, and open to anyone studying Art and Design from GCSE to Foundation Degree level, it requires applicants to try their hand designing sets, costumes, wigs, makeup or a marketing campaign for a designated opera or ballet production. Students research and produce design prototypes in response to their chosen Director’s Vision, relaying their ideas and process in a 90-minute portfolio pitch.

The challenge is part of the Royal Opera House’s national programmes, which reach thousands of schools through teacher training and direct engagement, and embed culture at the heart of communities from Cornwall to Cumbria. The aim of these programmes is to strengthen the arts in schools, build teachers’ confidence, inspire the creativity of the next generation, and break down barriers to music, dance and design in targeted areas across the country.

Dan Potterton said:

‘It was great to see the model room and how the building is designed to make it easy to move the sets around. I loved the open ended briefs which allowed me to bring my own creativity to the project.’

Diyora Sodikova said:

‘It was beautiful to see how each team within the costume department worked together to create such amazing costumes, starting with an idea and constructing it to be worn in a performance.’

This year’s prizegiving event, hosted in the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Foyer, celebrated the Challenge’s 2023 winners, tasked with creating designs for The Magic Flute. Over 450 students entered, from 28 schools and colleges across the UK. The exhibition of winners’ work will be open to the public until 21 June 2023.

Work by all finalists was seen and scrutinized by judging panels of professional designers and creatives at the ROH – including several senior staff members in the Royal Opera House’s technical and production teams.