Author: Georgina Salmon

7th – 10th April 2026

This week needed to get the facias finished. These are canvas panels which are hung around the stage. – The week before I always got to see how the canvas was laid which was really interesting to see the process and even learn about how canvas used to be washed every show and re paid for the next one, which is crazy, as that wasn’t even something that happened that long ago. My boss, when she first started her career that’s what they would do. I thought it was lovely idea that that one canvas has had multiple, magical lives telling different stories to different people.

Back to the facias. the designer wanted them to look like separate stone slabs, so we textured from the bottom up and added washes over the top. these where such a good way for me to learn about the ratio of wash to water, as I couldn’t really mess it up as it was lots of thin layers on top of each other. But it just gave me a really good idea of how to control your paint for certain effects.

texture

first wash

2nd

adding more of the same 2 colours

using a spray gun for the first time on these

this is one lent on the set.

I thought they came out really beautiful, with so much depth

30th – 2nd April 2026

very excited to start this show, I was told Splinter make this show every year and its just such a lovely thing to work on.

Because this show tours around to so many different Estes, the actors work as the crew because of how much it’s on the move. They only have one little van and it’s all funded by one of the founders of it, so there’s not a lot of money to work with. You’re also working face to face with the person paying, which doesn’t often happen. This is nice because they get to physically see what they’re paying for, however it also means that they’re so so so specific with every touch. Which I get but sometimes you have to remember the audience art walking on the stage judging every stroke of paint. As a designer you have to remember what the audience are seeing and most importantly, why they are there?

Anyway because all of this the show needs to be easily removable, storable and as small as possible.

This week I was starting on the floor, it was nice because Toni talked me through the model, we spoke about what needed to be done and how it would work, she gave me a little demonstration and left me to it. Which was such nice and peaceful task to get on with

28th March 2026

This was another little thing I did on the side, just planning a party for one of the customers at the Sheps, I always enjoying doing these. Only problem was we really didn’t think about the weather being bad as it had been lovely and sunny for a few weeks, however on the day we just had to shift certain parts of the decor around, but everyone still had a great night, and everyone dressed up which was great, even the bar staff!

16th – 18th March 2026

Back at Splinter! I wasn’t suppose to be, but I got called as they wanted to start a job early.

Only a few days as I was going away. But in the end I was pretty thankful. I will forever be grateful for this experience, however Care, was a theatre show about a care home. Flat dull colours on every wall, not creative one bit. The designer is known for her shows to be very realistic, very against anything theatrical, which makes our jobs very boring.

As always it looked amazing going out the door, but I was thankful I wasn’t on it for weeks just a couple days hahah

5th – 6th March 2026

From now you can probably tell I really enjoy the creating of events but also how they operate I love. I had abit of time off at Splinter, with them not having any shows on. So I found this event working at co op live, basically being a friendly face for when guest arrive at the event.

my job was to put peoples phones in bags, as it was a no phones event, which I love! Im all for people being in the moment and generally being there because they love the music.

It was a really lovely thing to be apart of, and again I met some really lovely people to, just such a great way to fill a gab with jobs. This is something I would have never been able to do before doing the DPS year, something I will forever be grateful for.

No photos to show haha

23rd – 26th Feb 2026

this week, was kind of a filler week. As Lauren was booked for 2 weeks, but splinter had nothing on this week, Toni and Maisie thought it would be useful to show us different scenic methods of painting as well as traditional.

I really liked this, as when I started at Splinter it was manic, up until this week. So there has been loads ive wanted to learn but just not had the time. Again it was nice sharing this with Lauren as this was new for both of us, so we were learning together. We are both from such different creative backgrounds as well so it was so interesting to compare out work, and see what each other would produce, as we both just had very different approaches to things

I also thought this was really good from Splinter, to provide this, so I really appreciate this from them

Marble method

Stained glass method

Sign writing ( my favourite )

16th – 21st Feb 2026

This was probably my first show where I properly felt like I knew what needed to be done and could physically do it without always asking what’s next?

This show, our boss, the head scenic wasn’t in, so Maisie, our next in line was leading, which was really good to see how different people run things. This week it was just me, Maisie and a new girl Lauren. Which for me was so exciting as I could so her the ropes and I could also relate with her. Starting in a big, fast pasted workshop can be really nerve raking.

I learnt so much with this show, I think because I was given a responsibility and also felt I had an impact with it all going out nice and smoothly. This made me feel like I was being needed in the workshop which was such a nice feeling. My hand work had paid off. Another side of this was I working really closely with Maisie, staying late most nights and working through the weekend, because the show has to go out! However Lauren didn’t do any of this, this job for her wasn’t what she wanted to do, it was a more in-between job. Which I struggled to get my head around, because for me, this is a dream job. Im getting paid to create these magical sets, and I know so many people who would do anything for this sort of work. It also then put pressure on me and Maisie, as we had a team of 3, but only 2 wanted to be there which is really difficult to try and get everything done on time, when not everyone is putting in the same effort. I don’t think this is particularly any bodies fault. It possibly is a lack of communication between Lauren and whoever interviewed her, maybe she didn’t get a full understanding of what she was going to be doing? It could be unorganasation from above us, maybe a week wasn’t long enough to get this out? Or it could just my judge of character and Maisie’s, we are so lucky to get on like we do, as we are so similar and most the time have very similar opinions, is that it?

What im trying to get at, is this is what the DPS has thought me, is having multiple reasoning. I used to just point the finger at the first thing that came into my head, and not take a step back and realise there’s 1000s of reasons people act the way they do, and I will most the time never understand

9th – 13th February 2026

This week I was put in the workshop to now paint the modelling. This was quite good as I actually got to work with some of the carpenters, some still are strange but others are actually really lovely. 

The modelling was really interesting as it looked like stone but was just vackform. It was alrightinf painting theatre first few but because this show was so huge we had so many to paint, every time I thought I had finished they would bring more stuff over, it was just one of them weeks, so I was so tired by the end of it. 

It was very interesting though as they built the whole set up in the workshop which was crazy to see. I couldn’t believe how huge it was

2nd – 6th February 2026

We had a brand new show this week, going out in 2 weeks time. Easy virtue. This show was an old rich house, so for the painters as pretty easy set to paint, and It’s mostly spot colours, and no distressing to make it look worn. As it was old we wanted to make it looked like it had been painted many times so it made it easier as we could just slap the paint on. 

We were focusing on the floor at the moment, making it look like old wooden flooring and patio. This was a really useful exercise just to see the different stages and to see how much tiny things make a massive difference. 

26th – 29th January 2026

My 2nd week went so much better, I don’t want to quit I actually really love my job I was just being massively dramatic. I’ve started building a relationship with the scenic painters and there teaching me so much, they have also explained that the painters and the carpenters don’t get on as the carpenters work towards the deadline of getting the set out of the door, always meaning then the painters have to work late nights and weekends to get the set out. Which then made a little more sense to me why they were being rude, but I’ll still be nice to them. This week we were working on the show Road, which is going in the royal exchange. This show was really fun to do as it was 17 telegraph poles we had to rough down to make them look old, it was a really good exercise for me as it was just loads of layers built up to get the finish look, meaning if I made a mistake it wasent to bad as a anouther layer would be getting put over it. I also had a gold leaf sign to do which was really good for me to learn how to do, and it was also nice I was given to do it all, as it was my little project. 

At the end of the week we had the referb of darren brown which was a nice little show to do, it was just making it look new again so lots of painting, filling and spotting. It was also interesting as the floor was needing re painting and originally the company wanted lights in the floor but there budget wasent big enough, so Toni, my boss came up with the idea to paint white lines in a certain way to still

Give the effect of lights, which worked really well. This painting was really satisfying to watch Toni and Maisie do as the lines had to be pin straight at a certain angle to get that effect of light.