The Next Chapter: MFA Technical Design and Production at Yale

Next week, I’ll be moving to Connecticut to begin an MFA in Technical Design and Production at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.

This marks the beginning of a new chapter in a path that has taken me through acoustics, music technology, sound design, venue consultancy, and theatre production. Throughout each step, I’ve been drawn to the process of turning creative ideas into live experiences through the technical systems, people, and collaboration behind the scenes — whether in theatres, venues, or live events.

I studied Acoustics and Music Technology at the University of Edinburgh, where I developed a foundation in sound, engineering, and the acoustic design and modelling of performance spaces. Edinburgh is also where I was introduced to technical theatre, becoming heavily involved in student theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival through production, technical, and management roles. Following this, I joined Arup’s Acoustics, Audiovisual and Theatres team as a Graduate Consultant, working on the design of performance venues and gaining insight into the collaboration and considerations required to create spaces for artists and audiences.

Alongside my technical work, I completed an MBA in Music Business through Southern New Hampshire University and Berklee Online to better understand the wider music industry, including the business, strategy, and creative ecosystems behind recorded music and live events. This experience strengthened my interest in large-scale concert and live event production, particularly within the EDM and pop sectors, where technology, performance, and audience experience come together.

Outside of my professional roles, I have continued developing practical experience through freelance sound design and technical management work across Edinburgh and London's theatre scenes. These experiences reinforced my interest in technical direction and production management, focusing not only the systems that make a performance possible, but also the planning, collaboration, and problem-solving that happen behind the scenes.

At Yale, I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge of technical direction, production management, live performance, and the technical design of performance spaces. Drawing on my experiences across theatre, acoustics, and technical systems, I’m excited to continue developing the skills needed to bring creative ideas from concept through to execution across a range of live environments.

I’ll be using this space to document projects, share technical processes, and reflect on the experiences that shape my development throughout the programme.

I’m excited to see what the next three years bring.