LILJA BLUMENFELD
Designer
Originally from Estonia, Lilja's award winning designs
have been realised throughout Europe and recently in the United
Kingdom.
Lilja is currently designing Richard III for Theatre Vanemuine
.
Through 25 years of work as a professional scenographer, Lilja has
worked extensively in many different theatres and has designed more
than 40 productions covering a variety of genres. She has won
several domestic and international awards for her artwork and her
award winning designs for Shakespeare include The
Winter’s Tale (2000, Best Design of the Year) and
Hamlet (Drama 2005 Festival Award). Amongst her
most recent work in the UK is Yerma, designed for
the Arcola Theatre, directed by Helena Kaut Howson with Kathryn
Hunter in the title role.
Designs include: Richard III, directed by Barrie
Rutter, Vanemuine Theatre; Yerma, Arcola Theatre,
London; Hamlet Festival Drama 2005; Hamlet
Theatrum in Gdansk Festival; Cricket on a Hearth,
Endla Theatre, Pärnu; Hamlet,Theatrum; Ay,
Carmela!, Tallinn Town Theatre; Liliom,
Estonian Drama Theatre, Tallinn; Cinderella, Endla
Theatre, Pärnu; Don’t Play with Love,
Estonian Drama Theatre, Tallinn; The Winter’s
Tale Endla Theatre, Pärnu; Force of Habit
Estonian Drama Theatre, Tallinn; Pelleas et
Melisande Theatrum’, Tallinn; Paris in
Spring Vanemuine Theatre, Tartu; Antigone
Theatrum, Tallinn; Ride Down the Mount Morgan,
Vanemuine Theatre, Tartu; Little Tragedies,
Theatrum, Tallinn; Moomin’ Christmas Endla
Theatre, Pärnu; Gaudeamus Baltic Students Song
Festival, Tartu; Private Lives, Vanemuine Theatre,
Tartu; The Dresser, Town Theatre, Tallinn.
Productions designed at Endla Theatre, Parnu: Moomin
Winter, Swindler, Winnie the Pooh,
Jonsen, the Lost One, Arthur and
Anna, Emil, The
Collector, Wild Adventures, A Man
Holding the Trumps, Pilli-Tiidu,
Night Songs.
Prizes and awards include: 2005, Drama 2005, Festival Prize,
Hamlet; 2001, Designer of the Year, The Winter’s Tale; 1989,
Vilnius Triennial Prize, J.G. Borkman; 1989, Theatre Designer of
the Year, J. G. Borkman; 1988, Designer of the Year, Shocks of the
Vahelik, The Howling Miller.
Lilja has completed the MA Scenography course at Central Saint
Martins College of Art and Design, London (UAL). Between 1999-2005
she was Head of Scenography at the Estonian Academy of Arts,
Tallinn and her own designs and her students‘ work have been
exhibited at the Prague Quadrennial; at the World Stage Design 2005
exhibition in Toronto Lilja was invited to present her scenography
for Hamlet in the main gallery.
