Sharjah, UAE – 30 October 2025
Attending the World Stage Design (WSD) 2025 Awards and Closing Ceremony at Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi honoured outstanding global talent by congratulating winners of the Design Exhibition, Theatre Architecture Competition, and Technical Invention Prize.
Also present were dignitaries, noted performing artists, and industry leaders from the performance design, live events, and architecture sectors.
WSD is a quadrennial celebration of professional and emerging designers from the global performance design sectors. This year marked the sixth edition and the Middle East debut of the event, co-produced by SPAA and the International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects, and Technicians (OISTAT).
WSD2025 featured three competitions – The Design Competition received over 1,000 entries from professional and emerging designers across seven categories: performance design, set design, space and object design, lighting design, costume design, sound design, and video and projection design.
Winners were selected by a silent jury from the 100 shortlisted designers whose work is exhibited at SPAA.
Winners – Professional category:
Costume Design
- Eloise Kazan / The Last Dream of Frida and Diego
- Laura Marnezti / The Body that is Recreated / El cuerpo que se re-crea
- 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 and Projection
- 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 and Object
- Jennifer Ann Hall / Midsummer Mystery
- Tan Zeen / Sage
- Ingrid Hu / Something in the Air
Winners – Emerging category:
Costume Design
- Wenyu Sun / Human is the Measure of All Thing
- 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 and 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 and Object Design
- Li Mutang / Ru Xiang
- Mara Ingea / Puzzles
- Tzu Yu Su / Afterlife Passport
The Theatre Architecture Competition (TAC) is the 12th edition of the competition with the theme “Theatre of Possibilities.” Participants had to submit ideas for a flexible structure to transform the central courtyard into a new 100-seat temporary performance space, but which also deals with the site’s specific climate. The proposals also had to consider the heritage of the venue and the region, and sustainability. Charcoalblue – a globally reputed theatre, acoustic, and experience consultancy service – is the sponsor of the competition.
The first, second, and third place winners are:
- Kuo, Chun-Hao / The Dynamic Fold
- Janae Van Panahon / Diwaniyat Al-Masrah: Theatre’s Gathering
- Cynthia Bou Chebl / The Crossroads Theatre
The Technical Invention Prize (TIP) competition recognised economical, sustainable, and smart gadgets, devices, or solutions developed by technicians for theatre, live performances, or the broader entertainment industry. This edition of TIP is sponsored by First Star Computer, Sapsis Rigging, and ShowTex.
The first, second, and third place winners are:
- Marshall Kidd / Simple Paper Rain Effect
- Bee Bee Lee / Spring-Clamp Tensioning System
- Rima Almesri / The Flex Booth
WSD2025 is supported by Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah Department of Culture, Sharjah Research and Technology Innovation Park, Build Partner – Taylex Group, Logistics Partner – EFM Global, WYSIWYG by Cast Group, and Protec.