Sheikha Hoor Honours Global Design Talent at WSD 2025

Sharjah, UAE – October 2025:

Sharjah reaffirmed its status as a global cultural and creative hub as Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, honored the world’s leading performance design professionals and emerging talent at the World Stage Design (WSD) 2025 Awards and Closing Ceremony, held at the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA).

The prestigious event brought together renowned designers, theatre architects, and technicians from across the globe, celebrating innovation, creativity, and excellence in the performing arts. Dignitaries, acclaimed artists, and industry leaders attended the ceremony, marking the culmination of a landmark edition for the region.

Making its Middle East debut, WSD 2025 marked the sixth edition of this international quadrennial celebration of performance design. The event was co-produced by SPAA and the International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects, and Technicians (OISTAT).

This year’s edition featured three major competitions — the Design Exhibition, the Theatre Architecture Competition (TAC), and the Technical Invention Prize (TIP) — each highlighting distinct creative disciplines within the performance design industry.

Design Exhibition: A Global Showcase of Innovation

The Design Competition received over 1,000 entries from professionals and emerging designers worldwide, spanning seven categories: performance design, set design, space and object design, lighting design, costume design, sound design, and video and projection design.
From more than 100 shortlisted works displayed at SPAA, a silent jury selected the winners.

Professional Category Winners:

• Costume Design: Eloise Kazan (The Last Dream of Frida and Diego), Laura Marnezti (The Body that is Recreated), Simona Raybakova (Richard III)

• Set Design: Yazhuo Luo (Dance Drama 'The Creation of Heaven and Earth’), Liu Haiyong (Why to Meet), Ma Lianqing (The Story of Anna & Chi)

• Lighting Design: Qian Shen (Lankao), Son U Leong (Nine Soundscapes), Jui Hsuan Tseng (A Thousand Sounds Towards Dawn)

• Video & Projection Design: Kuo Han Lee (Infinite Cycle), Hey Mechanic (Silent Warfare), Daniel Belton (Pepe and Pōtaka Nautilus)

• Sound Design: Yun Li (The Going), Calin Topa (Transcendent Renaissance), Chih Lin Chen (Disappearing Normal Life)

• Performance Design: Man-Tung Tsang (Cankrati), David Shearing (New Beginning), Guanlin Chen (The Rite of Lobster)

• Space & Object Design: Jennifer Ann Hall (Midsummer Mystery), Tan Zeen (Sage), Ingrid Hu (Something in the Air)

Emerging Category Winners:

• Costume Design: Wenyu Sun (Human is the Measure of All Things), Nitin Parmar (Kala Pani), Angelica Martins (Wings of Imagination)

• Set Design: Hsu-Wen Chen (The Symphony of), Mao Han (Peking 1948 – Nanluo Edition), Zhousi He (The Moors)

• Lighting Design: Ying Chen Lin (Embodying), Yuqi Zhou (With Your Youth), Yuqi Zhou (Heavenly Joy)

• Video & Projection Design: Xiao Chen (Brain Dead Buffet), Samay Cajas (Where the Blood Mixes)

• Sound Design: Chih Lin Chen (1 way 2 gather), Pan Pan (Passage)

• Performance Design: Wenji Zhang, Yucen Jiang & Lei Zhu (The Documentary Poets Society)

• Space & Object Design: Li Mutang (Ru Xiang), Mara Ingea (Puzzles), Tzu Yu Su (Afterlife Passport)

Theatre Architecture Competition (TAC): ‘Theatre of Possibilities’

The 12th edition of TAC challenged participants to design a flexible, climate-sensitive structure that could transform the central courtyard into a 100-seat temporary performance space while reflecting the heritage and sustainability values of the region. Sponsored by Charcoalblue, a global theatre and acoustic consultancy, the winners were:

1. Kuo, Chun-Hao – The Dynamic Fold

2. Janae Van Panahon – Diwaniyat Al-Masrah: Theatre’s Gathering

3. Cynthia Bou Chebl – The Crossroads Theatre

Technical Invention Prize (TIP): Innovation Meets Practicality

The TIP competition recognized smart, sustainable, and cost-effective technical solutions designed for theatre and live entertainment applications. Sponsored by First Star Computer, Sapsis Rigging, and ShowTex, the winners were:

1. Marshall Kidd – Simple Paper Rain Effect

2. Bee Bee Lee – Spring-Clamp Tensioning System

3. Rima Almesri – The Flex Booth

Supported by Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah Department of Culture, Sharjah Research and Technology Innovation Park, and industry partners including Taylex Group, EFM Global, WYSIWYG by Cast Group, and Protec, WSD 2025 successfully positioned Sharjah as a global stage for creative excellence and cross-cultural collaboration in performance design.