"Don’t sell yourself cheaply"

Hometown
I was born in Hanover, Germany and and now live in London

What do you do?
Freelance set and costume designer

How long have you been at it?
I’ve been working for myself since October 2002

What was your very first role in theatre?
Theatre designer for Edward Albee’s The Play About The Baby, Battersea Arts Centre

What else have you done in theatre?
In the past year I have:
* been a workshop facilitator and designer for a six-week workshop project resulting in the opening ceremony of Greizer Theaterherbst, Greiz, Germany
* designed set and costume for London Bubble Theatre Company’s summer show, The Dong with a Luminous Nose, directed by Karen Tomlin
* designed set and costume for the revival of Ya’akobi and Leidental at Oval House Theatre
* been one of six artist workshop facilitators on Eat London, a culinary community project produced by LIFT in collaboration with local communities to create a large scale edible model of London
* designed set and costume for The Hypochondriac by Molière at Arcola Theatre, London

Have you got qualifications?
* MA (a higher-level, second degree) scenography from Central Saint Martins College (now part of University of the Arts London )
* Diploma in fine art with specialism in theatre design, from a German university

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I think I always wanted to be an artist

What do you do all day?
My current job involves a lot of networking with peers and possible employers eg directors, producers and theatres as well as precise time management, research for projects, delegating to assistants if there are any, liaising with directors, production managers and cast, model-making; CAD drawing at the computer, reading scripts, making sketches and, in between, doing research online

What’s the best thing about your job?
Meeting exciting and interesting fellow artists. Sharing a vision, taking risks everyday and standing up for them.

And the worst?
Never really to be able to relax. At times the feeling I am always at work, wherever I am. The problem of mixing up private and professional life at times.

What’s your dream job in theatre?
I would like to work internationally since I love travelling and diving into new worlds and languages. Since I am also interested in site-specific performance projects, I hope to be involved in those even more in the future.

Got any wise words for someone who wants to be where you are now?
The jump from college to be able to sustain oneself is a long and at times hard thing to achieve. Always keep a strong relationship with your fellow graduates and other peers, do assist a lot in the beginning to make yourself known, and after the first steps do not forget to ask for a decent rate for the work you do–don’t sell yourself cheaply.

martinavonholm.com