Design Camp for ages 7 to 10: Stage Design Lab

Children will enjoy a fun day inspired by design, storytelling, and theatre through creative experiments, collaborative making and installation building. Participants will work in teams to transform ideas into environments that tell a story and pull an audience in. 

This workshop is an immersive introduction to scenography, where children will explore imagined narratives through performance design using hands-on, collaborative approaches to 3D design, lighting and sound.

After a short guided visit to our exhibition Es Devlin: Other Worlds led by a designer, children will learn about Devlin’s holistic approach to design and contemporary stage design practice through creative exercises.

Inspired by their visit to the exhibition, participants will work in groups to respond to a design brief and experiment with light and shadow, music, and space to understand how different design choices can alter the atmosphere of a place. They will develop their ideas into installations using cardboard, lighting, sound and a variety of materials. Alongside technical and creative processes, children will explore co-design methods, test ideas, and give one another feedback to refine their work.

This workshop is designed to help participants build their confidence through the collaborative processes used by professional stage designers. The day concludes with a final walkthrough, where children and their families will experience the installations and discover how the young designers brought their stories to life.

Learning outcomes and takeaways :

• Sketching and simple model-making with paper

• Exploring light and shadow play to create atmospheres

• The power of colour to affect mood and emotions

• Creating narratives through text and sound

• Collaborative installation building using found materials and projections

Please note:

• This workshop will include a short visit to the Es Devlin: Other Worlds

• This workshop is suitable for children aged 7-10. All participants must be dropped off and picked up by an adult. You can find additional information in the sections below

• Capacity is limited. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment

• All equipment and materials will be provided, but participants will need to bring a packed lunch

• All participants must be dropped off and picked up by a parent, carer or responsible adult. A member of our team will greet you on arrival and sign participants in. 

• We ask all bookers to provide an emergency contact name and number. Please ensure this person is available for the duration of the session. 

• Workshop content is tailored to a specific age group. Participants outside the advertised age range may find the session less accessible or engaging. 

• If there’s anything we can do to support your child’s participation, whether around mobility, communication, sensory processing, emotional regulation or anything else, you’re welcome to let us know at checkout. Sharing access needs is completely optional and helps us prepare the session in the most inclusive way. 

• This session can accommodate up to 18 participants. It will be led by one or two facilitators, with a typical adult-to-child ratio of 1:10. 

• If your child receives additional support in their education setting, you are welcome to bring a supporting adult with them at no additional cost. Please note that we are not able to provide one-to-one support ourselves. 

• If you have any questions or want to discuss specific access requirements, please get in touch with the team at DMAcademy@designmuseum.org

Please note that we have a new booking system. All Members must now log in to the ticketing platform to book tickets for upcoming events. How to book:

• Click 'Book now’, and this will take you to our new booking platform
• You will be prompted to log in or create an account to complete your booking. Please use the email address registered with your Membership to access Members' discounts and exclusive Members' events
• Choose an event from the drop-down list
• Select the desired tickets, dates and sessions and add them to the cart
• Follow the instructions for checkout and payment
• You will automatically receive an order confirmation email with the details of your booking, along with a PDF with your ticket
• Members don’t need to book tickets for exhibitions and can continue to present their Digital Membership Cards to access exhibitions

If you have any issues, please contact the team at membership@designmuseum.org

For non-members ticketing enquiries, please contact bookings@designmuseum.org

Background image: Laura Phillimore