Our head of wardrobe and the art behind every detail
At Figueres a Escena, a performance begins long before the house lights dim. Designers discuss silhouettes, directors imagine characters in motion, and performers rehearse gestures until they feel natural. Our head of wardrobe joins that conversation, turning an idea into garments that can handle applause, movement and time. Every seam and fastening is tested around the person who will wear it.
Based in Figueres, in Catalonia’s Alt Empordà, our head of wardrobe leads the wardrobe team across Teatre El Jardí, Sala La Cate and a programme spanning theatre, music, dance, cinema, opera, circus and family shows. The work combines practical problem-solving with creative attention: what an actor needs for a quick change, how a dancer’s costume handles a turn, or how a child moves safely in a playful costume. It is also a role of stewardship, with every production adding to shared knowledge of clothing, repair and reuse.
A role shaped by the whole season
The wardrobe stays involved from early design meetings to the final storage of materials. Our head of wardrobe works with costume designers, directors, performers, set and lighting crews, production managers and front-of-house staff. That network matters because clothing changes shape in performance: a stiff collar may restrict a singer’s breathing, loose shoes may alter balance, or a coat may catch during a fast scene.
A season can move from a chamber concert to a children’s show, an opera to contemporary dance, or a busy week of community activity. Each project needs its own visual language, while the wardrobe team carries useful lessons forward. Well-made trousers might return in a new colour, and a durable cape might be unpicked and rebuilt. That continuity helps the organisation spend carefully without allowing thrift to flatten the creative idea.
Leadership here depends on clear planning and generous attention. The team must know when to reorder, mend or rebuild, which items can travel safely, and how to prepare a costume so the wearer can focus on the part. Australian theatre practitioners will recognise the familiar rhythm of show calls, half-hour calls and quick changes, even though the working culture is rooted in Figueres and the communities around it.
From first sketch to the final stitch
Work begins with a conversation about character, movement and story. Our head of wardrobe studies the design, then asks precise questions: Can the performer raise both arms? Will the costume sit correctly after a long rehearsal? Does an item need to open in view, or can it be built for a quick release? These questions protect the artistic idea and the person onstage while giving makers useful information before fabric is cut.
Measurement and fitting turn a drawing into a wearable object. The process may involve muslin prototypes, repeated adjustments, specialist shoes, hats, wigs and supports, as well as ordinary garments altered to fit individual bodies. Australian wardrobe teams accustomed to metric patterns and measurements in centimetres will recognise the technical process. The underlying principle is the same: numbers describe a body, while a fitting reveals how that person moves.
Fabric choice is equally practical. A breathable weave may be kinder in a hot theatre, stretch may be essential for dance, and a heavier cloth can give an opera ensemble a deliberate silhouette. Australian conditions offer a useful comparison: Melbourne’s changeable weather, Sydney’s humidity and Adelaide’s dry summer can each affect comfort and storage. Figueres has its own seasonal rhythm, but the lesson travels well. Cloth must be selected for use, not merely for appearance in the design room.
One wardrobe, many kinds of stage
The range of work makes the role distinctive. An opera costume may demand precise finishing and a complete silhouette. A circus performer needs flexibility, secure fastenings and clothing that withstands a rigorous routine. Children’s theatre calls for durable pieces, washable materials and fast dressing routines. Dance, music and cinema introduce other pressures, including touring conditions, changing spaces and productions that must clear a room within hours.
Our head of wardrobe keeps the whole picture in view. Are there enough hands for a group change? Can a garment be repaired at short notice? Should a detail be reinforced because it will be touched every evening? Regional Australian venues in places such as Bendigo, Launceston and Hobart often rely on volunteers and costume plots that serve several community groups. Figueres a Escena’s network of theatres and cultural spaces makes careful planning just as important.
Fast changes expose the difference between a costume that photographs well and one that works under pressure. Zips must be findable without looking, layers must release in the right order, and pins cannot become the weak point in a hurried scene. Our head of wardrobe rehearses these moments with performers and stage management, treating dressing-room time as part of the performance rather than an obstacle before it.
Care, safety and respectful collaboration
Costume care is continuous. Pieces are aired, cleaned, repaired and inspected; fragile embellishments are stored safely; shoes and hats are checked for fit as bodies and habits change. The team also looks for signs of wear that could become dangerous onstage. For dance and circus the concern is immediate, but it exists everywhere: a loose button can distract a performer, and damaged clothing can create a hazard for crew as well as audience.
Respect is part of safe practice. Clothing touches identity, culture, age and body, so decisions should involve the people wearing the work whenever possible. This matters in a city with varied cultural influences and at a venue where children and adults share the same stages. Australian audiences may recognise its value in schools and community productions, where costume choices can welcome many backgrounds without treating cultural clothing as decoration.
The head of wardrobe keeps learning as the arts change. Set construction, new materials, touring practices and different forms of audience participation all affect the work. People seeking broader professional context can consult the KMOPA resource hub for continuing development and connections beyond a single production company.
Learning the craft through community
ATEB, Figueres a Escena’s theatre school, gives the organisation a natural place to pass on practical knowledge. Children, young people and adults encounter costume making, character work and backstage processes as part of their training. Our head of wardrobe can use these sessions to show that wardrobe work is creative and technical at once. A costume begins with empathy for a character, but it also depends on accurate listening, careful hand skills and calm problem-solving.
The connection with local schools extends that exchange beyond enrolled students. The organisation’s school collaboration programme shows how performances, workshops and conversations place young people inside the working life of a venue. For the wardrobe team, this can mean explaining how clothes are made, why materials matter and how a costume contributes to a shared story.
Mentoring also changes the culture backstage. Questions from a student or early-career technician may reveal a process that long-serving colleagues take for granted. Documenting repairs, standardising labels and inviting younger team members to fittings create a more transparent workplace. The aim is not simply to train people to sew faster. It is to develop judgement: knowing when a detail matters, when it can be simplified and when a performer’s comfort should determine the final choice.
Come behind the scenes and experience the results of this careful work at a performance, workshop or community event. Explore the season at Teatre El Jardí and Sala La Cate, and discover how each costume helps a character, a story and a performer come alive.
Discover the programme at Figueres a Escena and find your next live experience, from opera and dance to circus, music and family theatre. Learn about ATEB courses and join a community where the craft behind every performance is shared, practised and passed on.