Embodying the Character

An exhibition presented in collaboration with Central Saint Martins Museum & Study Collection that draws inspiration from the archival material of costume designer Jeanetta Cochrane (1882-1957). The body is a blank canvas in the realm of performing arts. In this theatre, the body is manipulated – through actions, gestures, mannerisms, speech, diction, tone, projection– and the actor comes alive on stage as a character. Costuming is more than a decorative touch. Costuming helps to dictate and communicate a character’s presence. This project was born out of a curiosity to investigate the ways in which costume and fashion design effects and influences a performance; it is an exploration of the sartorial, the theatrical, and the moments these elements coalesce.