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Max Rayne Design Bursary

A grid structure with twelve rectangular compartments, each depicting a silhouette of a person engaged in different activities such as writing, carrying buckets, reading, and working with textiles against a brightly lit white background.

The Max Rayne Design Bursary is an essential way we welcome a new and diverse generation of theatre professionals into our workforce. Thanks to generous support from The Rayne Foundation, every year the National Theatre is able to support an early-careers designer with a 12-month placement in our Design Studio.

The placement gives unparalleled access to one of the world’s busiest and most successful theatres. The Max Rayne Design Bursary provides an environment in which designers can develop their practice, gain experience on large stages and build their professional portfolios.

During their time at the National Theatre, they will work on main stage productions with world-class designers such as Frankie Bradshaw and Es Devlin, and collaborate with our in-house Drawing Office and skilled production staff.

“The NT’s Max Rayne Design Bursary is an excellent opportunity for a talented young designer to join the National and gain in-depth experience of the design and production process, working closely with a broad range of award-winning, world-class designers.”

Paul Handley, Head of Production at the National Theatre

Recipients

2016-17 – Jacob Hughes – worked with designer Ben Stones on The Suicide, and Design Assistant to Bunny Christie on The Red Barn
2017-18 – Jemima Robinson – Design Associate
2018-19 – Niall McKeever – Associate Set and Costume Designer on Translations, dircetd by Ian Rickson
2019-20 – Molly O’Cathain – Associate Set Designer on The Ocean at the End of the Lane, working with Fly Davis, Set Designer, and Design Assistant to Bunnie Christie on The Welkin

2022-23 – Ruth Badila – Digital Art on Death of England: Closing Time
2023-24 – Blythe Brett – Design Associate

The opportunity to work with such a wide variety of freelance creatives and in-house specialist staff is almost unique to the National Theatre, and supports bursary-holders to learn from other theatre makers and strengthen their industry networks – placing them in a strong position for their future careers.

“Getting to work at the National Theatre gave me access to the inner working of the building and an understanding of how its vast number of productions are produced, from conception to press night.

Being based in the Max Rayne Design studio meant that I had the privilege of meeting every designer working on an NT production, often getting to observe whitecards and hear how the design is evolving, which is incredibly useful to understanding design process.

Being based in the studio and passing through the production office and scenic workshops daily, I was amazed by the dedication, detail and skill with which the world-class technical departments deliver the visions of the designers and directors.”

Molly O’Cathain, 2019-20 Max Rayne Design Bursary recipient

Supporting a diverse workforce

There is an online application process and candidates are interviewed by a panel that includes Paul Handley (Head of Production at the National Theatre) and award-winning designers Bunnie Christie and Katrina Lyndsey.

The security, salary and learning opportunities offered through the Max Rayne Design Bursary mean that we can employ emerging designers who, without this support, would face challenges in launching their careers.

Hosting the Max Rayne Design Bursary is one of the most practical ways that we can help diversify the UK’s theatre design workforce and provide brilliant learning opportunities to anyone with the talent and dedication to benefit from it.

Gallery

Five people are standing on a set of the outside of two flats, one with a blue door numbererd 71, and the other a red door, numbered 72.
Five people are standing on a set of the outside of two flats, one with a blue door numbererd 71, and the other a red door, numbered 72.
Five people are standing on a set of the outside of two flats, one with a blue door numbererd 71, and the other a red door, numbered 72.
View 18 images
A youg man stands and appears to be practicing fighting. A large image of a man's head, wearing a boxer's hooded gown, fills the wall behind him. A cut-away of a flat on a stage, with bathroom, living room, hallway and bedroom all visible. Three people are standing in different rooms, a couple sit on a sofa and a young man sits on a chair in the liviing room. A group of people all wearing cardboard cut-outs of the face of the same man. One person holds a placard with I LOVE SAM written on it. Smoke fills the air. A woman wearing a brown plaid dressing gown sits on a low sofa in a living room, lit only by candles on a coffee table in front of her, and a fireplace on her left. Two women wearing party dresses standeither side of a man wearing a two-piece suit. They are at a party and all three have glasses in their hands. A man and a woman sit on separate low, white cloth sofas, each with a hand on the table between them, looking at each other intently. A production image of 'Translations' at the National Theatre, 2018, featuring actor Ciaran Hinds standing underneath a rusty railing A man stands on a stage, holding a book. In teh background an older man and a woman sit on rustic wooden chairs. A group of people in simple country clothing stand at one side of an open stage, either side of a man sitting at a long wooden table. They are all looking at two soldiers wearing red jackets and black trousers with a wide red stripe down the side, one of whom is talking. A young man and woman hold hands, looking at each other. Both are gesturing with their free hand and the woman holds a forked stick. They seem to be in a wood, at night and are surrounded by bodies lying on the ground. A young man and woman hold hands, looking at something in the distance. The woman holds a forked stick. There is red smoke behind them and they are surrounded by bodies lying on the ground. A young man stands in the right foreground, a worried look on his face. Behind him is a black Mini, its headlights on and driver's door open. A policeman looks inside whilst another is talking into a walkie-talkie. Twelve women stand on a stage in a long line. They are wearing period costumes and all look uncomfortable with the situation they are in, Behind them is a large blank, blue wall, with a white light frame. Two women, one with a colorful headdress and gold hoops, and the other in a navy Adidas tracksuit, are smiling at each other. Two women, one in a colorful headdress with gold hoops, and the other in a navy Adidas tracksuit, are facing each other.

Production images

Supporters

Max Rayne Design Bursary at the National Theatre is supported by The Rayne Foundation.

 

Photo (The Welkin, set design by Bunnie Christie, assisted by Molly O’Cathain) by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.

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