Transforming Stage Design: From Paper to Mixed Reality

In A-Level Drama I have been working with our talented students to redefine their approach to stage design for their coursework on 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'. Traditionally, students rely on pencil and paper to sketch 2D bird’s-eye view floor plans. While a staple of the craft, these flat drawings make it difficult for the students to truly "feel" the scale and presence of a performance space. To bridge this gap, I have been coaching a brilliant learner, Iona Wong, to push the limits of set design using a cutting-edge digital workflow: Luma AI: Used to generate high-quality 3D models instantly from simple text prompts. Gravity Sketch: Used to arrange and manipulate these assets within a Mixed Reality (MR) environment. Why Mixed Reality?

By blending their physical classroom with digital assets, students can experience their vision in ways previously impossible:

• 1:1 Scale Exploration: Students can physically walk through their designs at full scale, gaining a true sense of spatial relationships.

  
  

• Instant Iteration: Designers can move 3D elements in real-time without needing physical props or heavy lifting.

  
  

• Authentic Tech Integration: This isn't just "playing" with gadgets; it is a practical, curriculum-aligned application of technology that prepares students for the future of the industry.

The impact of this project has extended far beyond the students. Our Performing Arts staff are now keen to embed this as an option for all learners, and our Production Design staff are incredibly eager to begin integrating these tools into their own teaching.

This is the heart of The Curiosity Project: using student innovation as the vehicle to demystify technology and inspire staff to think differently.

Check out the video below to see Iona’s incredible MR stage layout in action!