Paribu Art's Masterclass Series Continues with Sean Holmes, Simon Stephens, and Grace Smart on June 5-6-7
Sean Holmes, Simon Stephens, and Grace Smart are coming to Istanbul. They are leading creative figures in English theatre: director Sean Holmes, playwright Simon Stephens, and set designer Grace Smart.
This special masterclass brings together directing, dramatic writing, and set design. It offers participants the chance to experience the creative dynamics of theatre production through an interdisciplinary lens.
During this three-day intensive program on June 5-6-7, participants will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with international experts in their own disciplines. At the same time, they will form creative teams with professionals from different fields and experience the process of bringing a performance to the stage together.
Who is Sean Holmes?
Sean Holmes is an English theatre director and artistic director. He served as the Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London for many years and currently works as an Associate Artistic Director at Shakespeare's Globe. Throughout his career, he has directed at leading theatre institutions worldwide, including Shakespeare's Globe, National Theatre, Royal Court, Abbey Theatre Dublin, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He won an Olivier Award for his production of "Blasted" and has brought to the stage many significant works, including "Hamlet", "Twelfth Night", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and "Much Ado About Nothing".
Masterclass Content: The Creative Process of the Creative Team in Performing Arts
This three-day intensive workshop aims to provide participants with a micro-scale experience of a real production process by bringing together the fundamental creative disciplines of theatre production (dramatic writing, directing, and set design).
The program balances deepening individual expertise with interdisciplinary collaboration. Participants first work one-on-one with masters in their own fields to develop practical skills and methods. Then, they join with participants from different disciplines to form creative teams and simulate the process of bringing a performance to the stage together.
No play will be performed at the end of the training.
Who is this for?
Theatre professionals in early and mid-career
Directors, playwrights, and set designers
Creatives open to interdisciplinary production
This special masterclass, bringing together three leading creative figures from the international theatre world, will offer participants the chance to directly experience the collective creative processes of contemporary theatre production.
Program Structure
June 5: Discipline-Based Deepening (1:1 & Small Groups)
Participants will conduct one-on-one and small group sessions with Sean Holmes, Simon Stephens, and Grace Smart according to their own fields.
Directors → with Sean Holmes
Playwrights → with Simon Stephens
Set designers → with Grace Smart
One-on-one or small group sessions
Focus:
Personal creative processes
Tools & methodologies
Discipline-specific ways of thinking
June 6: Interdisciplinary Team Formation
Teams consisting of directors, writers, and designers will begin developing joint production processes.
Participants from each discipline form mixed teams
In each team:
1 director
1 playwright
1 set designer
Teams begin working on a short text or idea
Focus:
Establishing a shared language
Creative decision-making processes
Balancing roles and responsibilities
June 7: Production & Sharing
Teams will develop their projects with mentors and conduct process presentations and feedback sessions.
Teams develop their projects and work on staging
Mentors work with teams on a rotational basis
By the end of the day:
Process presentations
Feedback session
Tickets are valid for three days for the dates June 5-6-7, 2026.
*This event will take place through the joint work of three separate groups (Playwriting, Theatre Directing, Set Design). Participants can only purchase a ticket for one group and attend the training for that group. Tickets purchased for multiple groups will be refunded.
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