Photo: Sophie GiddensJida Akil is a Syrian/Lebanese set & costume designer. She graduated from Central Saint Martins with First Class Honours and has worked with notable companies such as the Young Vic and Complicité. Her designs have also been selected for exhibitions with the Prague Quadrennial and World Stage Design. Jida is a member of Scene-Change, MENA Arts UK, and CYCSTAT.
She was also a resident designer at NDT Broadgate (2021-22).
Upcoming Productions:
-Dirt (R&D) | Norwich Arts Centre
By Joseph Connolly | Dir. Toby Clarke
-Five Shorts | Young Vic
Creative Lead: Anastasia Osei-Kuffour (Young Vic Creator’s Programme)
-Ruth & The Six of Calais (Double Bill) | Pegasus Opera Company
By Philip Hagemann | Dir. Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong
-A Midsummer’s Night Dream | Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Adapted from William Shakespeare | Dir. Sean Turner
-The Odessy | National Theatre
By Chris Bush & Jim Fortune | Assistant Designer to Fly Davis
-Penguin | UK Tour
By Hamzeh Al Hussein | Dir. Amy Golding (Curious Monkey)
Upcoming Productions:
-Dirt (R&D) | Norwich Arts Centre
By Joseph Connolly | Dir. Toby Clarke
-Five Shorts | Young Vic
Creative Lead: Anastasia Osei-Kuffour (Young Vic Creator’s Programme)
-Ruth & The Six of Calais (Double Bill) | Pegasus Opera Company
By Philip Hagemann | Dir. Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong
-A Midsummer’s Night Dream | Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Adapted from William Shakespeare | Dir. Sean Turner
-The Odessy | National Theatre
By Chris Bush & Jim Fortune | Assistant Designer to Fly Davis
-Penguin | UK Tour
By Hamzeh Al Hussein | Dir. Amy Golding (Curious Monkey)
SELECTED CREDITS:
Set & Costume unless specified
Set & Costume unless specified
How To Break Out of a Detention Centre
Boy (Costume)
Holiday Inn (Costume)
Human Nurture
For A Palestinian (Set)
Trump L’Oeil
Painkiller
The Poison Belt (Costume)
Give Me The Sun
Funeral Flowers
Heavy Weather
The 4th Country
Darling
Haramacy
Complicité Do A-Level Drama
Boy (Costume)
Holiday Inn (Costume)
Human Nurture
For A Palestinian (Set)
Trump L’Oeil
Painkiller
The Poison Belt (Costume)
Give Me The Sun
Funeral Flowers
Heavy Weather
The 4th Country
Darling
Haramacy
Complicité Do A-Level Drama
Riverside Studios, 2023
Mountview, 2022
Guildford School of Acting, 2022
UK Schools Tour & Theatre Peckham, 2022
Camden People’s Theatre & Bristol Old Vic, 2022
Upstairs at the Gatehouse, 2022
Theatre Royal Stratford East, 2022
Jermyn Street Theatre, 2022
Blue Elephant Theatre, 2022
UK Tour, 2022
Fourth Monkey Training Co, 2022
Park Theatre, 2022
The Hope Theatre, 2021
The Albany Depftord, 2021
UK Schools Tour, 2021
Mountview, 2022
Guildford School of Acting, 2022
UK Schools Tour & Theatre Peckham, 2022
Camden People’s Theatre & Bristol Old Vic, 2022
Upstairs at the Gatehouse, 2022
Theatre Royal Stratford East, 2022
Jermyn Street Theatre, 2022
Blue Elephant Theatre, 2022
UK Tour, 2022
Fourth Monkey Training Co, 2022
Park Theatre, 2022
The Hope Theatre, 2021
The Albany Depftord, 2021
UK Schools Tour, 2021
Dir. Nico Vaccari (Bezna Theatre)
Dir. Tom Hughes
Dir. Nigel West
Dir. Rob Watt (Theatre Centre)
Dir. Aaron Kilercioglu (WoLab)
Dir. Oli Savage
Dir. Toby Clarke
Dir. Becca Chadder (Paprichoo)
Dir. Majid Mehdizadeh
Dir. Jess Edwards
Dir. Poppy Rowley
Dir. Gabriella Bird (Plain Heroines)
Dir. Scott Le Crass
Artist Residency (Commun)
Co-devised (Complicité)
Dir. Tom Hughes
Dir. Nigel West
Dir. Rob Watt (Theatre Centre)
Dir. Aaron Kilercioglu (WoLab)
Dir. Oli Savage
Dir. Toby Clarke
Dir. Becca Chadder (Paprichoo)
Dir. Majid Mehdizadeh
Dir. Jess Edwards
Dir. Poppy Rowley
Dir. Gabriella Bird (Plain Heroines)
Dir. Scott Le Crass
Artist Residency (Commun)
Co-devised (Complicité)
Assistant/Associate
Middle (Modelmaker)
Much Ado About Nothing
The Collaboration
L’Orfeo
Hamlet (Jerwood Assistant Designer)
Meet Your Neighbour (Associate)
My Son’s A Queer, But What Can You Do?
Much Ado About Nothing
The Collaboration
L’Orfeo
Hamlet (Jerwood Assistant Designer)
Meet Your Neighbour (Associate)
My Son’s A Queer, But What Can You Do?
National Theatre, 2022
National Theatre, 2022
Young Vic/Broadway, 2022-2023
Weiner Staatsoper, 2022
Young Vic, 2021
Maison Foo Theatre Company, 2021
Turbine Theatre/West End, 2021-2023
National Theatre, 2022
Young Vic/Broadway, 2022-2023
Weiner Staatsoper, 2022
Young Vic, 2021
Maison Foo Theatre Company, 2021
Turbine Theatre/West End, 2021-2023
Des. Fly Davis
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Sam Wilde
Des. Ryan Laight
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Anna Fleischle
Des. Sam Wilde
Des. Ryan Laight
AWARDS
Finalist | Emerging Exhibition: Set Design
World Stage Design, 2022
Winner | #WeAreMENA Film Commission
MENA Arts UK, 2021
Finalist | PQ Studio: Common Design Project
Prague Quadrennial, 2020 | exhibited online
Finalist | Emerging Exhibition: Set Design
World Stage Design, 2022
Winner | #WeAreMENA Film Commission
MENA Arts UK, 2021
Finalist | PQ Studio: Common Design Project
Prague Quadrennial, 2020 | exhibited online
EDUCATION
BA (Hons) Performance Design & Practice
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
First Class Honours (2018-2021)
Lvl 4 Foundation: Architecture & Spatial Design
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London Distinction (2017-2018)
BA (Hons) Performance Design & Practice
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
First Class Honours (2018-2021)
Lvl 4 Foundation: Architecture & Spatial Design
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London Distinction (2017-2018)
SKILLS
Modelmaking
Costume Drawing
Technical Drawing
Visual Research & Moodboarding
Adobe Design Suite (Ps, Id, Ai, Ae, Pr)
Costume Supervising & Basic Sewing
Projection Mapping & Video Design (Isadora)
Digital Modeling & Rendering (Rhino & SketchUp)
Modelmaking
Costume Drawing
Technical Drawing
Visual Research & Moodboarding
Adobe Design Suite (Ps, Id, Ai, Ae, Pr)
Costume Supervising & Basic Sewing
Projection Mapping & Video Design (Isadora)
Digital Modeling & Rendering (Rhino & SketchUp)
© Jida Akil 2023