Costume Ménage à Trois: Costume Designer, Costumier and Performer on Collaboration and Creation

The intimacy, trust and bond between Costume Designer, Costumier and Performer is critical to a brilliant costume on stage, and in these workroom talks, both professional and student collaborative teams come together to reflect upon the creation of costume and character as a Ménage à Trois.

Join Anna Cordingley APDG (Designer), Amanda Hitten (Costumier) and Dan Spielman (Performer) on the Thursday night, and come along again on the Friday to hear from final year students involved in the 2025 VCA Performance Season. Both evening sessions are held in the beautiful Costume Workroom of the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne Southbank Campus, amidst the overlockers, remnant bins, industrial irons and cutting tables.

Hosted by the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music and the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne, these events and exhibitions celebrate creative innovation in design and its impact on place and community.

Sessions

15 May, 6.15PM - 7PM - Professional Speaker Evening
Anna Cordingley APDG (Designer), Amanda Hitten (Costumier) and Dan Spielman (Performer)

16 May, 6.15PM - 7PM - Student Speaker Evening 
Graduating VCA students involved in the 2025 VCA Performance Season: 
Madison Lu (Designer), Asha Robinson (Costumier), Sarah Wood (Performer) and Mia Scalise (Performer)

This series of talks is presented as part of Melbourne Design Week 2025

Melbourne Design Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and is curated and delivered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Visit designweek.melbourne from to view the full program. Melbourne Design Week is Australia’s largest and leading annual design festival and takes place from 15–25 May 2025.

Registration

Tickets for this free series of talks are strictly limited with registration required via Humanitix. 

Registered attendees who find they are no longer able to attend are encouraged to cancel their ticket via Humanitix or contact fineartsmusic-tickets@unimelb.edu.au so that we can release those tickets for other patrons to book.

Venue

This series of talks take place in the Costume Workroom, located in the Dodds Street Performing Arts Building which is accessible via paths in the new Dodds Street Linear Park. Please meet Front of House in the foyer on the ground floor of the Dodds Street Performing Arts Building, the Costume Workroom is then accessible via the stairs or lift.

Arrival time

Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the event to secure your seat. If you have not arrived by the start of the event, your ticket may be released to any waiting patrons at the door. 

PARKING

The City of Melbourne has recently changed the parking restrictions around the Southbank Campus. Parking control hours are now expanded to 7am–10pm, seven days per week, and are capped at three hours. A $2-per-hour fee after 7pm is also now in place. There is no change to the $4-per-hour peak rate between 7am–7pm. Parking inspectors are regularly in the area fining drivers who overstay their meter, so we encourage everyone to be aware and avoid an expensive fine. More information. 

ACCESSIBILITY

All venues at the Southbank campus are wheelchair accessible. To read more about access services available at our venues, please visit:  https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/access-our-events.  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Please stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms. Face masks are welcome in all settings for community and personal safety.  
• In order to account for drop-off in attendance, we overbook a select number of free events at the Faculty. If you have not arrived by the start of the performance, your ticket may be released to any waiting patrons at the door. Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the performance to secure your seat.  
• Admission to any of our concerts and events is strictly at the discretion of Front of House. We have zero tolerance for any disrespectful behaviour.

Banner Image: Photograph of an evolving suit pattern for a garment worn by performer Kate Mulvany OAM in Bell Shakespeare’s Richard III, 2017. Image denotes calico toile with safety pins, biro scrawls and notes to the cutter. Image by Anna Cordingley.