Following the success of last year's Aida Design Challenge, we’re again inviting Skills Academy Founder Colleges to put their marketing, production and design skills to the test. 

We've teamed up with Industry Member the Royal Opera House once again - this year alongside their production of La bohème - to offer students the chance to prove themselves in categories spanning Costume, Marketing, Makeup & Wigs, Online Educational Resources and Set Design.

The Challenge itself will provide invaluable real-world experience – judging criteria are stringent, and the judging panel made up of industry professionals – and, if last year’s entries are anything to go by, competition will be fierce. But the prize is well worth fighting for: winning entrants in each category will be invited to spend a day at the Royal Opera House, meeting Royal Opera House staff in their categories and visiting backstage areas. All entrants will also receive feedback from senior production and design staff at the Royal Opera House – a career boost in itself in a notoriously competitive industry.

The deadline for applications is 23 March 2012, but students will be taking part in preliminary expert judging rounds at their college in the weeks previous.

Then, on 27 April 2012, the Royal Opera House will present a Schools' Matinee of La bohème, for which participating colleges will be given priority booking. During the day there will be an exhibition of students' submissions and the winners will be announced.

The Skills Academy is delighted to be working with the Royal Opera House once again, after the success of last year’s Design Challenge and this year’s Open Up. A longstanding Skills Academy Member, the Opera House will also become a Skills Academy neighbour in summer 2012, when our backstage training centre opens next to the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop in the High House Production Park, Thurrock.  

For further information on the Challenge, including helpful resources and further information about Puccini and his opera, take a look at the Royal Opera House's Design Challenge site.