Claudia
Federici

Head of the School of Scenography. Graduated in 1985 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, since 1982 she has worked in the field of Performing Arts in a purely theatrical setting, alternating between costume design and scenography and, in recent years, in the field of puppet theatre. Lecturer in Scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts since 1989.

SET DESIGN, FIRST YEAR – THREE-YEAR COURSE 12cfa

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
What is Set Design? By definition, set design encompasses everything the eye sees within the performance space; therefore, even costumes can become part of the set design. It is the creation of a ‘place’ that does not exist in reality: the ‘ideal’ place to visually interpret what is being portrayed. It is an illusory place that lives and dies within the duration of the performance and exists solely for the purpose of the performance. And when the lights go out… it no longer exists.
Scenography is therefore space that becomes place: empty or full, enclosed or open, real and illusory, dark, illuminated, rational, mad. It is the space of appearance. It is the space in which the performance event is born and dies, whether that space is a theatre, a town square, a simple stage or a warehouse. The aim of the course is to enable students to acquire – through the essential analysis of the script and historical/iconographic research – the graphic and technical skills required for a methodology that is applicable to all areas of set design.
From the 2024–2025 academic year, starting from the first year, the course will be divided into two streams: one specifically focused on SCENOGRAPHY and one focused on COSTUME DESIGN. At the start of the academic year, students enrolled on this course will be able to choose which stream to follow.

• The Set Design stream focuses on the acquisition of theoretical and practical/technical knowledge, primarily for the design of theatre sets in the broadest sense of the term, through workshops, theoretical lectures, seminars, work placements, screenings, and visits to theatres and set design studios.
• The Costume stream, known as the Costume Design Workshop, will employ the same resources – research, design, work placements and visits to costume, fabric, footwear, weaponry, make-up and wig workshops – but to train costume designers for film and theatre.

SET DESIGN stream PROGRAMME:
The Set Design stream curriculum involves approaching Set Design through a series of exercises that lead to an understanding of space and atmosphere – light and shadow – as well as the techniques required to create it.
The programme is structured around a series of short exercises aimed at teaching students about colour application, the characteristics of the stage space, theatrical perspective, perspective rendering, and the development of set pieces. These will be followed by further short exercises aimed at applying the knowledge gained to the ‘performance space’.
In the second semester, students will design scenography based on a play, starting with an analysis of the text and then moving on to the design of sets and costumes and the creation of a model.
The play selected for this year is Aeschylus’ THE PERSIANS.
It is compulsory to study the scenography handouts recommended by the lecturer: Handout
SET DESIGN.

COSTUME DESIGN WORKSHOP pathway PROGRAMME:
The Costume Design pathway programme involves an introduction to costume through a series of practical exercises that lead to an understanding of anatomy, knowledge of fabrics, cutting and sewing, the characteristics of costume according to the character, and the specific features of theatre and film costume – along with the techniques used to create it. The first year will focus on the period from 1400 to 1600. Therefore, the exercises in the first year will cover the Humanism, Renaissance and Baroque periods, with reference to films and theatrical works set in these eras. Participation in two dedicated workshops led by professional costume designers will be compulsory.

Images and videos will be uploaded to the course team.
Throughout the year, lecture content will be made available in digital format upon request.

FINAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE:
The progress examinations for the first, second and third years involve the submission of the complete portfolio, in accordance with the procedures set out during the year, and an assessment of the theoretical knowledge acquired through lectures, seminars, visits and interdisciplinary collaborations. The portfolio must be submitted in the week prior to the end of teaching, regardless of whether students wish to take the exam in the summer or autumn session. An extempore presentation, valid as a pre-exam, is scheduled before the end of the lecture period.

SET DESIGN BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• LORI, Renato, Il lavoro dello scenografo, Rome, Gremese P.B.A., 2000
• LORI, Renato, Manuale di scenografia e scenotecnica per il teatro, Rome, Gremese, 2007

CERULLO Gilda, Cambi di Scena, Rome, Dino Audino Editore, 2018

• COPPELLI, Gino, Manuale Pratico di Scenotecnica: le Macchine Teatrali, Bologna, Patron Editore, 2006
• ALDINIO, Susanna; VOGHERA, Massimo, Fare Scenografia, Milan, Ed. Hoepli, 2024
  COSTUME DESIGN BIBLIOGRAPHY:
  • LEVI PISETZKY, Rosita, Storia del Costume in Italia, Vol. I–II–III–IV, Rome, I.E.I. Treccani, 1964
  • ANDERSON, Barbara & Cletus, Costume Design, New York, CBS College Publishing, 1984

  GIORGETTI, Cristina, Manuale di Storia del Costume e della Moda, Florence, Cantini Ed., 2007
  NADOOLMAN LANDIS, Deborah, Hollywood Sketchbook: A Century of Costume Illustration, Collins Design; 1st ed., 2012
  ARNOLD, Janet, Patterns of Fashion, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Drama Pub, 1985

SECOND YEAR SET DESIGN – THREE-YEAR COURSE 12cfa

SYLLABUS:
For each piece of work, students must submit:

• Reading and analysis of the text.
• Composition of a Dramaturgical Outline (bare).
• Creation of a Work Plan.
• Documentation and iconographic research
• Preparatory sketches of sets and costumes
• Plan(s), sections (1:50–1:100 as agreed), development of pieces (1:20, 1:25), for Theme 2
• Board showing all costumes at a scale of 1:10
• Set design sketch(es) – Set design data sheet
• Costume sketches, scale 1:5 – Costume data sheets
• Model to scale 1:20 or 1:25

Review sessions will be scheduled in advance, and collective participation is mandatory, regardless of whether the student has material to present.

Topic 1: a choice between THE ACCOMPLICE by Friedrich Dürrenmatt (drama) and THE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams.
Theme 2: SPARACUS, music by Aram Khachaturian (ballet).

Images and videos will be uploaded to the course team.

[Topics for 2024–2025: The Double-Headed Eagle, The Firebird]

FINAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE:
The progress examinations for the first, second and third years require the submission of the complete portfolio, in accordance with the procedures set out during the year, and an assessment of the theoretical knowledge acquired through lectures, seminars, visits and interdisciplinary projects. The portfolio must be submitted in the week prior to the end of teaching – both for students wishing to take the examination in the summer session and for those wishing to take the examination in the autumn session. An extempore presentation, valid as a pre-exam, is scheduled before the end of the lecture period.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• LORI, Renato, Il lavoro dello scenografo, Rome, Gremese P.B.A., 2000
• LORI, Renato, Manuale di scenografia e scenotecnica per il teatro, Rome, Gremese, 2007
• CERULLO, Gilda, Cambi di Scena, Rome, Dino Audino Editore, 2018
• COPPELLI, Gino, Manuale Pratico di Scenotecnica: le Macchine Teatrali, Bologna, Patron Editore, 2006

ALDINIO Susanna, VOGHERA Massimo, Fare Scenografia, Milan, Ed. Hoepli, 2024

SET DESIGN, THIRD YEAR – THREE-YEAR COURSE 12 ECTS

SYLLABUS:
For each piece of work, students must submit:

• Reading and analysis of the text.
• Composition of a Dramaturgical Outline (bare).
• Creation of a Work Plan.
• Documentation and iconographic research
• Preparatory sketches of sets and costumes
• Plan(s), sections (1:50–1:100 as agreed), detail development (1:20, 1:25), specifications
• Board showing all costumes at a scale of 1:10
• Set design sketch(es) – Set design data sheet
• Costume sketches, scale 1:5 – Costume data sheets
• Model to scale 1:20 or 1:25
• Theatre programme

Theme 1: TOSCA – music by G. Puccini (opera)
Theme 2: RAPUNZEL – The Musical – music by A. Menken (musical)

[2022–2023 themes: Il Trovatore, Cyrano de Bergerac]

Images and videos will be uploaded to the course team

FINAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE:
The progress examinations for the first, second and third years require the submission of the complete portfolio, in accordance with the procedures set out during the year, and an assessment of the theoretical knowledge acquired through lectures, seminars, visits and interdisciplinary collaborations. The portfolio must be submitted in the week prior to the end of classes, regardless of whether students wish to take the exam in the summer or autumn session. An extempore presentation, which counts as a pre-exam, is scheduled before the end of the lecture period.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• ALDINIO, Susanna; VOGHERA, Massimo, Fare Scenografia, Milan, Ed. Hoepli, 2024
• LORI, Renato, Il lavoro dello scenografo, Rome, Gremese P.B.A., 2000
• LORI, Renato, Manuale di scenografia e scenotecnica per il teatro, Rome, Gremese, 2007
• CERULLO, Gilda, Cambi di Scena, Rome, Dino Audino Editore, 2018
• COPPELLI, Gino, Manuale Pratico di Scenotecnica: le Macchine Teatrali, Bologna, Patron Editore, 2006
• ALDINIO, Susanna; VOGHERA, Massimo, Fare Scenografia, Milan, Ed. Hoepli, 2024
  

SECOND YEAR SET DESIGN – TWO-YEAR COURSE 12cfa

Learning objectives:
Knowing how to draw a good sketch does not mean you are a set designer. Being a set designer requires something more. Luciano Damiani used to say that creating a set means placing oneself at the service of a poetic or musical text. The set is not an environment to be decorated but a space to be organised, in which ‘the relationship between the human figure and the object requires special care because it must form part of a precise harmony’. Knowing how to create set design means knowing how to design, build, colour/leave uncoloured, move and illuminate a space in accordance with a text.
It means knowing the materials and techniques required to achieve all this. Knowing, for example, that ‘that set element’, which looks very aesthetically pleasing in a two-dimensional sketch, is difficult to light or may cause problems with audience visibility and actors’ movement. In short, a set designer is someone who, yes, draws and designs, but who does so with an understanding of the outcome in real space, in relation to the actors, the lighting and the scene changes. What is often lacking at the Academy is practical feedback on what is designed and painted. The aim of the two-year specialist programme is to provide in-depth, technical and practical artistic training in the fields of set design, staging and costume design for the performing arts. For this reason, in collaboration with the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, six-month internships are offered at the workshops in Via dei Cerchi.

FINAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE:
The second-year examinations involve the presentation of the student’s complete portfolio, in accordance with the procedures set out during the year.

INTERNSHIP:
In the 2024–2025 academic year, an internship in applied scenography is planned to take place at the workshops of the Teatro dell’Opera in Rome.

SYLLABUS:
For each piece of work, students must submit:

• Documentation and iconographic research
• Composition of a Dramaturgical Outline.
• Creation of a Work Plan.
• Documentation and iconographic research
• Preparatory sketches of sets and costumes
• Plan(s), sections (1:50–1:100 as agreed), detail development (1:20, 1:25), specifications
• Board showing all costumes at a scale of 1:10
• Set design sketch(es) – Set design data sheet
• Costume sketches, scale 1:5 – Costume data sheets
• Scale model (scale to be agreed)
• Theatre programme with poster on the cover

Revision sessions will be scheduled in advance, and collective participation is mandatory, regardless of whether the student has material to present.

1 Topic: a musical of the student’s choice from the following list:
CHICAGO – libretto by F. Webb and B. Fosse, music by J. Kander
DEAR EVAN HANSEN – libretto by S. Levenson, lyrics and music by Pasek & Paul
JEKYLL AND HYDE THE MUSICAL – music by Frank Wildhorn (musical)
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – libretto by T. Rice and music by A. L. Webber
SOMETHING ROTTEN – music and lyrics by W. Kirkpatrick & K. Kirkpatrick
WICKED – libretto by W. Holzmann, music and lyrics by S. Schwartz

PUPPETRY – six-month course – 6 CFA credits

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
The course has two objectives: firstly, to learn about the expressive techniques of puppet theatre; secondly, to produce designs for a performance that can be staged in a theatre or filmed as a video.
Puppetry has finally shed the preconception that relegated it to the role of ‘children’s theatre’. While, on the one hand, it preserves its traditions through long-established families of puppeteers, on the other hand, it is evolving, being reborn in new forms of manipulation driven by the technical evolution of the media.
In fact, it has always had the ability to reinvent itself, even after long periods of neglect, demonstrating a remarkable capacity for renewal while, at the same time, maintaining a more or less identical dramaturgical and linguistic structure not only over time but also, so to speak, ‘across space’, i.e., a grammatical syntax shared throughout Europe, irrespective of era or location.
However, beyond the dramaturgical structure, it is the technical aspect of puppet theatre that plays a fundamental role, shaping both the aesthetics of the performance and its dramaturgy and, above all, its construction. We can summarise the techniques into three main groups, determined by the type of manipulation: manipulation from below, from above and from behind.
The aim of the course is not only to produce designs, but also to establish a kind of connection between the puppets created and their creators, so that the latter are able to manipulate them with coordinated and progressive movements that lend expressiveness to the puppets and transform them into characters. The materials and techniques used for creation and movement will be explained. A key aspect of the course will be the exchange with Teatro Verde in Rome and its artists: a company based in the capital that has been producing puppet theatre performances for 40 years.

COURSE STRUCTURE:
The course will run for six months and will comprise lectures and workshops held in the classroom.

FINAL ASSESSMENT METHOD:
The exam consists of a discussion and presentation of the work carried out, as well as an assessment of the theoretical knowledge acquired during lectures. Students must also bring the technical data sheets, a short video showing their puppet or marionette in action, and a presentation (printed or in PowerPoint) of the construction process.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• ALLEGRI, L. and BAMBOZZI, M. [eds.], Il Mondo delle Figure, Rome, Carocci Ed., 2012
• BAIRD, Bil, Le Marionette, storia di uno spettacolo, Milan, Mondadori, 1967
• CASTELLINO F., FERRARI I., Baracca e Burattini, Turin, SEI, 1936
• BELL, John (ed.), Puppets, Mask and Performing Objects, TDR Book, 2001
• BATEK, Oskar, Il Teatro delle Marionette, Milan, Ottaviano Editore, 1981

PROGRAMME FOR THE 2025–2026 ACADEMIC YEAR:
The programme will be tailored according to the objectives of the specialisation and/or, where appropriate, will also include interdisciplinary collaborations.
In both cases, the programme will focus on:

• Historical and theoretical lectures on puppet theatre, analysing:
  1. History
  2. Techniques
  3. Languages
  4. Dramaturgy
• Theoretical lectures on the various methods of making marionettes and puppets: from the model to the finished product
  1. Puppet-making workshop
  2. Performance organisation

This year, the collaboration with Teatro Verde will continue, which includes lectures, visits to the theatre and participation in workshops for the production of puppet theatre performances.
Furthermore, if a sufficient number of students enrol, it will be possible to create marionettes and/or puppets with a view to producing a performance.