Ruby J
NIDA Design for Performance Graduate 2022
Ruby Jenkins is a multidisciplinary designer working across Adelaide and Sydney. Her practice is founded in a rigorous and sensitive collaborative process and design sensibility brings together deep research and understanding with a witty, playful theatricality.
A 2022 NIDA Graduate, Ruby was nominated for the 2023 Australian Production Design Guild Award for Emerging Designer for a Live Performance or Event for Seven Days of Silence, dir. Nicholas Bradshaw (NIDA Festival of Emerging Artists 2022). Other theatre credits at NIDA include her role as Costume Designer for the musical Falsettos dir. David Berthold (NIDA 2022). Ruby has also undertaken screen industry placements on The Twelve and Furiosa, and a live performance industry placement with Patch Theatre in Adelaide.
Ruby’s recent design credits include: Banging Denmark! dir. Madeleine Withington (New Theatre, 2023), Miss Julie dir. James Watson (Famous Last Words, 2023), It’s A Wonderful Life dir. Nicholas Papademetriou (Joining the Dots Theatre, 2023) as Production and Costume Designer; Turn Up Your Radio Exhibition as Exhibition Concept Designer/Drafter (Adelaide Festival Centre, 2023); as well as assistant and scenic roles on Kairos (Sydney Festival, 2023) and Choir Boy (Riverside, 2023) respectively.
During her time at NIDA Ruby particularly relished her time on projects like her Triple J Unearthed Music Video Say It To My Face dir. Chinmaya Madan, and short film Kelly dir. Kathleen Kershaw (NIDA 2022). In a Co – Developer and Production Design role on both these projects, she was able to contribute to telling unique stories about the female experience and present them in an authentic, dynamic, and playful way. Ruby looks forward to continuing to create opportunities like these in her future.
Nominations:
AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION DESIGN GUILD 2023 EMERGING DESIGNER FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE OR EVENT
Skills:
Illustration ( A Flea In Her Ear, Orlando)
Graphic Design (Say It To My Face, Turn Up Your Radio Exhibition)
Autocad
3D Modelling (Turn Up Your Radio Exhibition, A Midsummer Nights Dream)
Concept Art (Kelly, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui)
Model Making (Seven Days of Silence, Bliss)
Storyboard Illustration (Say It To My Face)
2O24
Credits
HEARTBREAK HIGH, Production Design Assistant to Marni Kornhauser
NIDA TRIPLE J RAGE PROJECT, Design Student Support
CUT THE SKY VIDEO INSTALLATION, Costume Standby, dir Rachael Swain.
CUT THE SKY (dance), Costume Associate to Stephen Curtis, dir. Rachael Swain, Carriageworks, presented by Marrugeku.
DOG (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, KXT, dir. Kim Hardwick, presented by We Are Not Producers
MISERY LOVES COMPANY (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, KXT, dir. Mathew Lee, presented by Legit Theatre Co.
TELL ME ON A SUNDAY (musical), Costume Coordinator, The Hayes, dir. Blazey Best
BALM IN GILEAD (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, NIDA Acting 3 American Plays Showcase, dir. Ed Wightman
THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG (music theatre), Costume Designer, Neglected Musicals, The Hayes, dir. Lisa Callingham
SYDNEY FESTIVAL, Wardrobe Supervisor, Seymour Centre
[BLANK] (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, NIDA Open Actors Studio, The Luminus, dir. George Lazaris
VENUS AND ADONIS (theatre), Wardrobe Assistant, Sport for Jove, dir. Damien Ryan
BANGING DENMARK! (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, New Theatre, dir. Madeleine Withington
LATE BLOOMER (music video), Production Designer, NIDA Triple J Unearthed, dir. Jo Bradly
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (theatre), Costume Designer, Joining the Dots, dir. Nicholas Papademetriou
TURN UP YOUR RADIO (exhibition), Exhibition Concept Designer, Adelaide Festival Centre
MISS JULIE (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, Famous Last Words
CHOIR BOY (theatre), Scenic Artist, Parramatta Riverside, dir. Dino Dimitriadis
KAIROS (dance), Assistant Designer, dir. Meryl Tankard
2O23
KELLY (short film), co-production designer / co-developer, dir. Kathleen Kershaw
HOME (theatre), Student Placement, Patch Threatre, dir. Rosie Brown
FURIOSA (film), Set Decoration Department Assistant, Underdown Productions
‘SAY IT TO MY FACE’ (music video), Production Designer / co-creator, Triple J Unearthed / Rage, dir. Chinmaya Madan
FALSETTOS (musical), Costume Designer, NIDA June Production Season, dir. David Berthold
HOME THOUGHTS (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, Famous Last Words, dir. James Watson
2022
ALMOST, MAINE (theatre), Set and Costume Designer, Flinders University Performing Arts Society, dir. Alana Lymn
THE TWELVE (series), Art Department Assistant (placement), Fox Studios
AN EXTENDED ABSTRACT (short film), co-designer / co-creator
2021
2020
LUNACY (theatre), Design Assistant, NIDA Digital Season, dir. Pierce Wilcox
NEXT TO NORMAL (musical), Design Assistant / crew, NIDA October Production Season, dir. Darren Yap