Location: Roger Bishop Theatre
Abstract:
Curated Panel Rationale: The Costume Cutter is a central yet often overlooked role in theatrical production. If the Designer functions as the architect of a costume, the Cutter is its engineer, translating vision into a garment built precisely for a performer and the action on the stage. For more than a century, professional costume production across Canada has relied on inherited, labour-intensive methods that have changed little over time, forming a rich and highly skilled creative lineage.
Today, however, the future of this traditional practice is under strain. Shrinking budgets, accelerated production timelines, and increased reliance on fast fashion threaten the sustainability of costume building as an artistic discipline. Senior practitioners face burnout as they are asked to produce more with fewer resources, while opportunities for mentorship diminish. Without intervention, these pressures risk eroding the expertise of Cutters, Builders, and even Designers, expertise that is foundational to the vitality of the performing arts.
This panel is a response to this state of transition, exploring digital technologies that could alleviate pressure on workrooms, expand Cutters’ creative capacity, and strengthen collaboration with Designers and Directors. Researchers in the field will disseminate their work assessing the ethnographic, educational and logistical implications. This conversation is happening at a pivotal moment in Theatre Production in Canada, where Costume Designers grapple with the pervasive threat of AI and reliance on fast fashion increasingly replaces costume building. We hope to start a conversation that broadens the scope of our collaborative contribution and re-centres value on the skilled technicians, and artisans contributing to the theatrical artform.
“Reframing Technical Arts Training in Canada: Sector Pressures, Institutional Constraints, and the Case for Collaborative Models”
Dr. Claire Carolan (Independent Scholar)
Stage and Screen Industry Community Consultation – An Analysis of Props and Costume Labour Resources in Calgary, Alberta
Cathleen Gasca Sbrizzi (University of Calgary / Crew College)
Biographies:
Moderator:
Dr. Claire Carolan is a scenographer with 30+ years’ experience across Western Canadian universities, colleges, and regional theatre companies. A senior academic leader and program designer, she has developed and reviewed more than twenty post-secondary credentials—from certificates to master’s programs—shaping responsive, industry-aligned arts and professional pathways.
Cathleen Gasca Sbrizzi – Cathleen holds a BA in Costume Studies from Dalhousie, certificates in Innovative Pattern Cutting and Clo3D from Central Saint Martins and Parsons and is a recipient of the Michelle Dias Community Service Award. She has published two publicly funded research projects and presented research at World Stage Design 2023. Web: QuarterlyCutter.com.