‘After giving up my dancing career with the Royal Ballet
in 1965, I joined the Theatre Design Course at the Slade School under the wonderful designer and teacher, Nicholas Georgiadis. The seed was sown and 20 years later, in 1989, it grew into the Linbury Prize for Stage Design, at the National Theatre.’
Lady Anya Sainsbury CBE,
Founder of the Linbury Prize for Stage Design
Puppet hyena from The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage designed and built by 2023 Linbury Prize recipient Jodie Jew Yates. Photo by Ben Stones.
Legacy of the prize
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​‘The Linbury Prize stands as a supportive, brilliantly unique platform for emerging designers. Under its umbrella it allows them to showcase their work, build relationships within the industry and publicly launch themselves as the next generation of new design talent to watch. Championing designersat this pivotal point allows them to gain confidence and self-belief in their ideas through the realisation of practical placements within the industry. It is unique in this opportunity and for its continual support of the importance of the art and craft of design for performance.’
‘The Linbury Prize is a fantastic opportunity to recognise and celebrate the inspirational talent of emerging designers for theatre and dance. Lady Anya Sainsbury’s vision in bringing this prize into being allows us to support new designers whose imagination and craft is so essential to our engagement with and delight in performances.’
Roxana Silbert,
Chair of the Linbury
Prize for Stage Design
‘The Linbury Prize was, quite simply, life-changing for me. Winning it early in my career opened doors I never imagined possible. The Linbury Prize isn’t just about discovering talent – it’s about investing in the future of theatre. It gives emerging designers the confidence to take creative risks, collaborate meaningfully, and push boundaries. Design has the power to shape the theatrical experience, and it’s a privilege to support the next generation of theatre designers through the very prize that helped shape my own journey.’
‘The Linbury Prize has profoundly influenced the work of theatre designers worldwide, who have, since its inception, made their first productions in producing houses throughout the UK. Lady Anya Sainsbury’s inspiring philanthropy has created a prize that is synonymous with the celebration of both craft and opportunity.’
Caro Newling OBE
Chair of the Linbury Prize for Stage Design 2010 - 2023
Tim Hatley,
Designer and Linbury Prize winner 1989
‘The Linbury Prize has played an unparalleled role in supporting
emerging designers into sustainable careers. To have work showcased at the National Theatre, and be able to shadow established designers, is an unmatched opportunity and I can’t wait to see where the creativity and imagination of this year’s recipients
will take them.’
Kate Varah,
CEO and Executive Director of the National Theatre
‘The Linbury Prize is a vital celebration of theatre design: an unrivalled opportunity to showcase and encourage emerging talent. It is a great source of pride that the National Theatre has supported the prize since its inception nearly 40 years ago. It is an honour to be part of the journey of these amazingly gifted artists as they embark upon their professional careers.’
Indhu Rubasingham,
Director of the National Theatre
‘The Linbury Prize is a genuine, designer-led bridge between study and the working environment. The prize brings connection between the theatre-making industry and new designers in ways which evolve to reflect the changing context in each prize year. The prize aims to keep true benefit to the designers at its heart: professional experience on real projects; financial remuneration; peergroup and mentorship networks, as well as the chance to exhibit work to the wider industry and to the public. While the sector can seem out of reach to new designers, the Linbury prize really can bring opportunity closer. A rare thing.’
Vicki Mortimer,
Designer and Linbury Prize finalist 1989
Katrina Lindsay,
Designer