Job Title: Set/Costume Designer

Dates: Various dates September-December 2025

Fee: £3000

Location: Preshow meetings are virtual/hybrid, rehearsals are in London

Closing date: Friday 25th October 10am

About the role:

English Touring Opera (ETO) are seeking a set/costume designer for an upcoming Learning and Participation opera, made for and in collaboration with audiences with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The opera will have approximately 30 performances in a tour across England from October to December 2025. It will primarily be performed at schools for students with special educational needs, as well as libraries and studio theatres.

We are looking for a dynamic, creative, early to mid career set and costume designer, with a specific interest in making environmentally sustainable productions. This opera will be a Theatre Green Book Intermediate Production, meaning 75% of set, props and costumes must have had a previous life. For this production, we are envisioning that these will predominantly be sourced for ETO’s storage unit.

We actively encourage applications from disabled people, working class people and people from global majority backgrounds, as these groups are currently under-represented in the cultural sector.

About ETO:

ETO reach over 50,000 people per year with four mainstage productions and at least two specially commissioned operas for children.

One of the specially commissioned operas is for young people with SEND, and tours to public venues and special schools. ETO has a long-standing reputation in this area, with previous operas in this area including How to Find Your Name, The Extraordinary Adventures of You and Me (both YAMAwards ‘Best Opera’ nominated), Waxwings, This is My Bed, Zoo! and The Wellies.

About the opera:

This opera will be co-created with a secondary special school in East London. The writer, Maisie Newman, will work with the young people to create a story, using set pieces, props and costumes from ETO’s storage unit as inspiration for the plot.

How to apply:

To apply, please send the below to admin@englishtouringopera.org.uk, under the subject title ‘L&P Designer Application’ by Friday 25th October at 10am

• A CV (maximum two A4 pages. Alternatively, you can send a video of up to 4 minutes, or an audio recording of the same length).

• A Cover Letter (maximum two A4 pages. Alternatively, you can send a video of up to 4 minutes, or an audio recording of the same length).

We encourage pictures or links to pictures of your design work in your CV or Cover Letter.

If you have access requirements that would make another form of application more suitable, please do get in touch.

We actively encourage applications from disabled people, working class people and people from global majority backgrounds, as these groups are currently under-represented in the cultural sector.