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Chalk About, from Scottish company Curious Seed, starts with the intriguing premise of performers drawing outlines of their bodies and then filling them in with ideas about identity.

Renee Liang speaks to set designer Karen Tennent. 

Have you always wanted to design? 

No, when I was at school I wanted to make animated films, then I went to art school and studied fine art, drawing and painting, I started designing for theatre by accident.

What was your pathway towards designing for theatre? What’s your view - formal study vs experience? 

I had a friend who worked in theatre and I used to go in and help paint scenery. I was then asked to be an assistant to a designer and to design a few community shows, and then offered a job on a team at Theatre Workshop in Edinburgh. We all had different skills and would go out and about doing all sorts of community projects, then I got asked to the TIE shows (theatre in education) met a lot of great people, some of I whom I still work with today. I didn’t study theatre design but I learned a lot on the job, not just about design, but on the whole process of creating work. Even if you study design I think you still need on the job experience to fully understand the process.

How does a designer get work in this day and age - what are your tips and tricks? 

I think it’s about building relationships with directors and companies. You have to be able to work on any scale, small touring, big rep or site specific. Be able to work with no money as well as a big budget, some of the best ideas come from having a restricted or no budget! 

Have you worked on other Curious Seed shows? 

Yes I have, nearly all of them. I’ve worked with Christine on many projects, we have known each other for over 20 years.

How do you approach designing for a new show - at what stage of the process do you like to be involved, and what do you like to see or know first? 

I like to be involved as soon as possible, a lot of work I do is devised, it’s great to be part of making the 'story' with visuals leading the process rather than words. But every process is different, and I’m quite happy being handed a script and working with the director to work on how to stage it.

How much do you draw on your own life experiences when working? 

I think you can’t help it... everything you do has some kind of link to who you are... and who you are is your experience.

I'm curious about the stage set for the show. A lot of venues ban chalk - how do you get around that? 

We haven’t come across that yet! But we do take our own floor if they don’t want us to chalk on theirs!

What do you consider when designing a show you know will tour? 

The size and access to the venues! The amount of people on tour with it, the construction of the set and most important the size of the van!

Were there any other challenges with the design for this show? 

Chalk About has always had to tour abroad, it has to fit in two suitcases and go on a plane. We also use helium, which has to be sourced in each country...also helium is running out in the world, which we found out after we started so we have been exploring alternatives.

What are you working on next? 

I am working on a show with a company called Catherine Wheels called Lost at Sea for the Science Festival in Edinburgh and for a new production of The Iliad, by Chris Hanna for the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh.

What’s your big idea for 2016?

Big idea... I hope all my ideas are big ideas! 

About Karen Tennent 

Karen Tennent studied at Edinburgh College of Art and has worked in Scotland as a theatre designer for many years devising/creating in-house and international touring productions as well as site-specific projects. Theatre credits include Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, Lyceum Edinburgh, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Dundee Rep, Polka Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Communicado, Macrobert, Benchtours, NTS/Catherine Wheels (best design 2006 CATS awards), Walk the Plank and the RSC. Dance credits include Plan B, Tabula Rasa, and Almost But Not Quite, Code Butterfly, PUSH and Chalk About for Curious Seed. 

Part theatre, part dance, Chalk About is fifty minutes of family-friendly fun (for kids aged eight and older) played out on a giant chalkboard stage.

• Chalk About is on at New Zealand Festival 2016 at Hannah Playhouse in Wellington from 1-6 March before heading on the road to Greytown on 8 March, Upper Hutt on 9 March and Porirua on 10 March.