Information and tips on creating a successful proposal for the Busker’s Opera set design.
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Brief
Budget
Production Overview
Tips on writing your proposal
Brief
The Park Theatre invite UAL students to submit their proposal to design and create the set design for the
upcoming production of ‘the Beggar’s Opera’ which will go into pre-production in early 2016 and open to
audiences in April 2016.
From the first round of submissions four students will be selected to create model box of their design. The
Park Theatre audience and Busker’s Opera production team will then vote for their favourite and the
selected design will go into production.
This is a paid opportunity, with the selected student receiving a fee and a professional mentor.
Themes/ Inspiration
 With a story that peers in to the workings of both the upper echelons and the underworlds of
society, we’re interested in exploring how different physical levels can help tell our story.
 We’d like to give the sense that the world has been created out of London. So much rubbish is
thrown away in London on a yearly basis, and lots of it ends up on the streets. The more of it we
can use the better!
 How interactive could this set be? As we’re in a musical world, we’d like to incorporate some sort
of percussive, musical elements to the set. E.g. a drum kit made out of old pans, empty tubs? A
traffic cone trumpet?
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Practical considerations
 We need an open playing space that can accommodate our cast of 9 and our Musical Director.
 Please consider the carbon footprint of our set. Ideally, lots of the set will be fully recycled and
recyclable afterwards.
 We may look to use some kind of projection to help tell this story, be that to project images of
shadow puppets.
Please use the following link to access script and song demos using the password - buskersual - when
prompted. (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s94azvqmiyzhewc/AADtNlww6WUTmSZa6r-MdJnVa?dl=0)
The information contained in this Dropbox is highly sensitive and not for redistribution of any kind. Permission is given exclusively to the
administrators of UAL to distribute to interested parties within the University but this right does not extend outside of the University.
Any disclosure, distribution, reproduction, printing the contents of this folder and material is strictly prohibited. By opening the files
contained in the link, you are hereby acknowledging the above and agree to the above terms.
Budget
The selected student will receive a fee of £1,000.
Costs for materials to build the set will be covered, a budget to be agreed with the production team. Your
proposal should give an estimated cost for production which should not exceed £5000.
The cost of model boxes will be covered, an amount will be agreed with the selected participants.
Production overview:
“The future’s ripe for those who mix
Their artistry with politics”
London, 2012. The night before the Opening Ceremony. A group of street performers called 'the
99percenters,' gather in protest against the over-priced, corporate games. Among them is Macheath,
satirist and ladies' man, whose razor sharp wit is slashing chunks out of the Mayors reputation. Powerful
figures are watching. With the ever influential media operating twenty-four-seven, capital punishment has
found a new method of delivery.
Inspired by John Gay’s the Beggars Opera, Macheath is back in this modern reworking of the classic musical
tale of class and inequality. Set in 2012, Buskers Opera pits Macheath against the corporate giant and
media mogul Jeremiah Peachum and the Mayor of London, Lockitt, for the political upper hand as the
Olympic opening ceremony approaches. Macheath poses a threat, as ever, and this time he's taking more
that youtube hits and Facebook likes. With his satirical music videos beginning to reach out the masses and
influence opinion, the powers that be are getting nervous and watching.
Tips on writing your proposal
 Theme
This production takes inspiration from John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera and it’s Brechtian adaption; The
Threepenny Opera.
This modern adaption, set on the eve of the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, is a social commentary more
inspiration can be found here:
https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-buskers-opera
o Research the themes, consider this in the subject and aesthetics of your idea. You will need to state
why your idea is relevant to the themes above in your application.
o What could be learnt about this subject matter through your design? What are you trying to
communicate to the audience through your design?
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Budget: What will your idea cost?
o You should show an indication in your submission as to how much your set would cost.
o Be creative in your approach – what can you do for free/little cost?
o What materials would you use to create the necessary effects, research their feasibility and
cost.
o Indicate the estimated total cost of your proposal first, then complete this in the box titled
‘budget’ with a breakdown of where this money will be spent.
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Your Team: whilst we welcome individual proposals, we would also welcome a collaborative
proposals.
o Consider the time commitment of this project and how you / your team would manage it.
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This is a paid opportunity, however the fee is set so this would need to be shared in any
collaborative approaches.
Remember this is not an opportunity for you to show your existing work, what aspects of your practice
can you bring to the event? This is a chance to show off and share your skills and talents and bring your
creativity to a new audience.
Once you have a good idea of what you’d like to do, it’s important that you explain it clearly in your
proposal:
Timings:
The selected student will work with the production team to devise a schedule.
Key dates to note are:
o Deadline for proposals: 22nd November at midnight
o Successful applicants notified: by 26th November
o Model boxes complete: 4th January
o Model boxes on display: 5th – 25th January
o Selected design announced: 26th January
o Show opens: 25th April
Other key dates TBA
Your Proposal Content:
 Remember that we will be reading about the project for the first time and have no idea what it’s
about. Try and present it as simply and clearly as you can.
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We will be looking at lots of proposals so please be concise. A few detailed paragraphs should be
sufficient to get your idea and relevant points across.
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Sell your idea to us: Tell us why this project would work well at this event, what will you/others be
doing, is it interactive, how it is suitable for the audience, how does it fit the theme of this event,
tell us about the delivery/ logistics.
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It’s important that you tell us about the logistics of the project. For instance:
o What materials would you use
o Do you have any specific requirements – power/ sink access etc.
o How would you deliver the project
o How many people could engage at one time
General info:
 Bringing the project to life with some sketches/images will aid your application.
 Incomplete or vague proposals will not be successful so ensure you have included the elements
mentioned in this document & completed the entry form in full.
 There will be development sessions to work on proposals and meet the production team.
If you have any further questions please email Lucy Hatfield l.hatfield@su.arts.ac.uk
Deadline for entries: 12 midnight on Sunday 22nd November.
Submit your proposal via the online entry form at: http://www.suarts.org/creative
We aim to notify successful proposals by 26th November.
Park Theatre reserves the right to alter any aspects of the proposal that they deem unsuitable, but will
attempt to keep any changes to a minimum and will consult with participants at all stages.