Theatre Complex: Design Supervisor

email | i.louw@ru.ac.za

room | 312

Drama Department

Rhodes University

i.louw@ru.ac.za

046 603 8540

Originally from Cape Town, Illka is an accomplished theatre designer and scenographer who supervises and lectures in design at Rhodes Drama Department. Illka is also the resident designer for Rhodes Drama department, affording her an ideal setting for research in design and scenography. Her research investigates the interface between theatre design, scenography and visual dramaturgy in a post-dramatic milieu.

 Education and Qualifications

• 2012 - 2013 Master of Arts in Theatre and Performance (Distinction), University of Cape Town          Thesis Title. “From Designer Through Space to Spectator: Tracking an Imaginative Exchange between the Actants of a Scenographic Event”
• 2010 Honours Degree in Directing (Distinction), University of Cape Town
• 2009 Diploma in Business Management, Damelin College
• 2004 - 2005 Postgraduate Diploma in Theatre Design (Distinction), Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff
• 1990 - 1992 National Diploma in Fashion Design, Cape Technikon, South Africa

Employment History                                                                           

• 2013 – present Rhodes University Design Supervisor and Lecturer
• 2011 La Rosa Dance School, Costume Design Workshop.
• 2009 – 2012 Design, Second Year Film students at CPUT
• 2008-2012  Design Workshop, MA Drama students at UCT and ARTSCAPE trainees
• 2006 Costume design workshop, Post-Graduate Theatre Design Students at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
• 1998 – 2009 History of Costume, Drama Undergraduates at UCT
• 1998 – 2008 Head of Wardrobe at University of Cape Town, Drama Department
• 1994-1998 Junior Ladies Costumier atARTSCAPE (CAPAB)

Creative Work in the Profession

Visual Dramaturgy and Directing for Stage                                                                                                                         

• 2013 “uR” at the Arena Theatre, Cape Town
• 2012 “Playing Space/ Speelplek”at Little Theatre , Cape Town
• 2011 “Isangqa/Sirkelpad”, performed at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown & Out The Box Puppet festival, Cape Town

Performance Design: Set and Costume

• 2014 “Bruising” choreographed by Nicola Elliot , Standardbank National Artist of the Year.
• 2013 “Drifting” curated by Rob Murray, Andrew Buckland, Illka Louw; “Curl Up and Dye”, dir.Cassandra Hendriks; “uR” dir. Illka Louw 
• 2012 “En el Tablao” costume design for LaRosa Flamenco Dance co.; “Sacred Elephant”, dir. Geoffrey Hyland; “Other People’s Lives”, dir. Sanjin Muftic; “Playing Space/ Speelplek”, dir. Illka Louw
• 2011 “Isangqa/Sirkelpad” , dir. Illka Louw;  “Romeo and Juliet”, dir. Geoffrey Hyland ; “The Ogreling”, dir. Yvette Hardie;  “Sadako”, dir. Jaqueline Dommisse
• 2010 “Autopsy”, dir. Mark Fleishman, Magnet Theatre
• 2009 “The Tempest”, dir. Janice Honeyman, Baxter Theatre Cape Town, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Upon-Avon
• 2008 “Chess – The Musical”, dir. Paul Warwick Griffin; “Disney’s High School Musical”, dir. Paul Warwick Griffin
• 2007 „Die Ballade van Koos Sas“, dir. David Kramer; “The Kramer Pietersen Songbook”, dir. David Kramer

Professional Achievements

• 2014 Individual Member of OISTAT , Present a Paper at the IFTR Scenography Working Group meeting in Warwick, UK
• 2013 Exhibitor at World Stage Design in Cardiff, Wales
• 2012 Present a paper and attend IFTR conference in Santiago, Chile
• 2011 “Isangqa / Sirkelpad” receives nominations for Best Puppet Design and Best New Production at the Out the Box Festival; Work exhibited at Prague Quadrennial. 
• 2010 Fleur Du Cap Award for ‘The Tempest’ Costume and Set Design, dir. Janice Honeyman
• 2009 Naledi and Fleur Du Cap nominations for ‘Chess’ Costume Design, dir, Paul Warrick-Griffin
• 2008 Naledi nomination for Costume Design of  ‘Hair- the Musical’, dir, Paul Warrick-Griffin
• 2007 Curator of Babel Exhibit as well as special assistant at SCENOFEST in Prague; Exhibited work at Prague Quadrennial 
• 2006 Fleur Du Cap Award for ‘12^th Night’ Costume Design, dir.Geoffrey Hyland
• 2005 Fleur Du Cap Nomination for ‘Ghoema’ Costume Design, dir. David Kramer; 1^st round finalist of Linbury Biennial Design competition,UK

Last Modified: Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:35:05 SAST