Sketch to stage

Help us invest in emerging artisans and play a role in their professional development 

Help us invest in emerging artisans and play a role in their professional development. 

Victorian Opera exists to provide pathways to careers in our artform. We offer emerging artisans an opportunity to reach their full potential through on-the-job training and learning, professional development, practical skills enhancement, encouragement and mentorship.

Sketch to Stage is a project bringing together two of Victoria’s young designers who, together with a team of upcoming costume makers, will handcraft the extraordinary costumes designed for our production Abduction (The Abduction from the Seraglio) in August.

Soon, we will move from sketches, to mood boards, to the cutting room table. Then, the pinning and sewing process begins. Every costume will be individually handcrafted with intricate detail and contemporary flair, ensuring we bring our designers’ vision to fruition.

Help us invest in this important project and join us on this extraordinary journey over the next three months to experience the impact of your support.

With bold contemporary staging and updated libretto, Abduction exemplifies Victorian Opera’s commitment to honour centuries-old traditions while evolving the artform. It tells a new story of love, desire and obsession, with Mozart’s distinctive humour and his breathtaking score.

Your tax-deductible contribution will make all the difference.

Meet The Designers

Nathan Burmeister and Matilda Woodroofe are collaborating on designing the set and costumes of Victorian Opera’s reimagined production of Mozart’s Abduction.

Nathan Burmeister works closely with new styles, forms and stories. He explores contemporary dramatic composition and aesthetics. Matilda Woodroofe brings a diverse range of experience across the creative arts, taking ideas from page to screen and stage.

Their costume designs for Abduction are bold, taking inspiration from cultural icons such as Lady Gaga, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, to create wholly original pieces.

We hope the designs inspire you to invest in their vision.