Peter Butler

Profession

BA Performance: Design and Practice Alum

College

Central Saint Martins

Person Type

Alumni

Biography

Peter is a London based designer for performance, specialising in set and costume design for theatre, devised theatre making, and site-specific work. Peter graduated from BA (Hons) Performance: Design and Practice at Central Saint Martins.

Interview

Why did you choose to study BA Performance: Design and Practice (PDP) at Central Saint Martins (CSM)?

BA Performance: Design and Practice stood out from other courses I'd looked at. I knew when applying that I was looking to study in London and on a course that would support my previous theatre knowledge and challenge my assumptions about performance making and design. I knew that studying on the BA PDP at CSM would offer me time and space as a mature student to create a solid foundation for a future in Performance Design. I liked the course structure and its openness and it’s understanding of the multitudes of what performance making can be.

What have you been working on since graduating?

Since graduating, my journey as a designer has grown from small beginnings. I began designing for fringe venues and touring shows to gain experience and have my work seen by as many people as possible. As my experience grew, I found myself working in regional venues, and more recently I have worked on productions for theatres in the heart of London. Most of my work has been focused on new writing, but not exclusively, and some of it has actively pushed against ideas of how to make ‘traditional’ theatre. All of this has been exciting, challenging and has added to a body of work I can reflect on which has become a very important part of my practice.

What was the most interesting project you worked on during your time on the course?

The first year for me was all about understanding how I could reshape my future and creative output, particularly in deciding what kind of performance I wanted to create. It became clear very early on that to truly benefit from the course in particular the first few units, I would need to let go of an earlier version of myself and any assumptions I had. These initial units in year 1 became the most rewarding for me because I was actively placing myself in the centre of the work. I noticed a younger, more creative version of myself emerging during workshops and smaller projects, this initially felt confusing and sometimes pointless. However, looking back that time served as a roadmap for the rest of my time on the PDP course and it's something I revisit whenever I need to ground myself at the start of a new project to this day.

What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?

I think anyone joining the course can get a lot from it if you stay open and curious. The building is packed with experts and facilities. Making the most of this and the opportunities the course has to offer was important for me and helped me build my practice and skills set. I’d also say gaining experience outside of the course on placements or as an assistant designer can be another helpful way to build your understanding of performance design.

What was the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?

Graduating during covid was a challenge but completing something I’d set out to do during difficult time globally felt like my biggest highlight and a positive full stop on a happy time during my studies at CSM.

What is the most important thing you learnt on the course?

I couldn't pinpoint one thing, but it's worth sharing that I still use a lot of things I learnt in the costume workshop during fittings today, whether that's a knowledge of cuts and tailoring or down to how different materials behave, this is the same for the work I do when thinking about set design or when thinking about performance from a theoretical point of view. It all became important.

Links

View Peter’s work on his website.

Follow Peter on Instagram.

Peter Butler

Biography

Interview

Links

Central Saint Martins

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