Alcina & The Sofa (RIAM)
Creating an identity for a quirky double bill opera

2022

Photography
Identity
Print

Type of project

Solo
Outcome
Process
RIAM opera poster shows image of sea cliffs and birds made out of sofa items.

La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola di Alcina (1625) by Francesca Caccini and The Sofa (1957) by Elizabeth Maconchy are operas that take place worlds apart, yet they were chosen to be paired for a double bill opera at The Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin (RIAM). Despite their many differences, themes of fantasy, transformation, humour and nature bind them together.

Image of the Opera brochure, which is in the format of a small newspaper broadsheet wrapped in twine, with a close up shot an inside page on the right
gif of 2 spreads from the opera brochure show mountains and waves made from sofa materials
Opera postcards back and front. Back is blue with title handwritten, and front is scene of waves and birds made from sofa parts.
Quote from Alcina: "On Alcina's island, near her palace by the seashore, beneath adjacent mountain cliffs with cool waves and grottos.
Opera tickets in blue and green feature scenes made from sofa parts, such as waves and clouds.

La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola di Alcina (1625) by Francesca Caccini and The Sofa (1957) by Elizabeth Maconchy are operas that take place worlds apart, yet they were chosen to be paired for a double bill opera at The Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin (RIAM). Despite their many differences, themes of fantasy, transformation, humour and nature bind them together.

Opera identity brainstorm using post-it notes to merge themes from both plays such as duality, textiles, magic and humour.
Identifying overlapping themes from each opera.
Opera visual language development mood board containing photography of sea scapes made from sofa parts.
Gif of opera poster development split across 3 different stages. Gif flicks through multiple poster iterations at each stage.
Poster development