The Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarships are awarded annually in partnership with TSDCA and USITT, funded by LDI and Live Design, and sponsored by Lightswitch to support talent from underrepresented backgrounds in the field of entertainment design.
Audrey Allen is a projections/video designer, scenic designer, and scenic artist. She is currently studying for a BFA in scenic design, with additional emphases in scenic painting and projections/video design, at Utah State University where she is in her junior year. She recently won “Heart of the Arts for Scenic Arts” at KCACTF’s region 8 festival for her scenic painting. Audrey is drawn towards telling a story in all of her projects, and finds it vital in every aspect of design. Currently, one of those outlets is through the medium of projections. Eventually, she would like to find herself designing for playhouses and stages around the world and exploring the world of designing projection-based experiences and exhibits.
"My goal in education is to take every opportunity to learn everything I can possibly know. Currently, that focuses on projections, since I am so new to that world," Allen explains. "I am fairly confident in the creation of media, well, at least I think I am! But I know that I still have a ton more to learn. Beyond Blender and Adobe After Effects, I also am trying to learn as many different projections softwares as I can to be even more adaptable - which currently are Disguise and QLab, but I want to approach my projections professor about other programs.
Audrey will be at LDI 2025 in Las Vegas with the other Diversity In Design Recipients.
She talked to Live Design about being curious, her career goals, and visiting National Parks.
LD: What drew you to design?
Audrey Allen: As I answered these questions, it was really nice to step back and take a look at where I currently stand, part way through my undergraduate career, and where I want to be headed in the future. It is also inspiring because I come from a family of artists, and to get the scholarship is really encouraging in the idea that I can make it as a creative in a crazy world - which is extremely comforting.
I’ve always been interested in telling stories. I think it’s only natural that I ended up finding my way to theatre and really falling in love with that as a medium, which naturally transferred to design as an offshoot of that.
LD: What are some of your career goals?
AA: While it would be cool to end up on Broadway or the West End, as long as I am helping tell stories I don’t really care. Right now something that is extremely fascinating to me are museum displays/experiences that revolve around projections and video design. I would also love to become a professor one day and teach others how to tell stories in mediums that they find fascinating.
LD: How can the industry better serve underrepresented communities?
AA: I think mainly to just listen to those voices and let them speak for themselves. This in turn, promotes learning and a drive for understanding not just across the industry but hopefully across the broader public. Learning new things and growing in understanding is never a bad thing, especially when it allows for others to access opportunities that may have previously been shuttered.
LD: Who or what are your influences in terms of people or events?
AA: I have always been curious and I think that drives a lot of things I find influential in my life. I am influenced in basically everything I partake in, such as fantasy and classic literature. I am affected a lot by the content I intake, the books I read, the media I consume and the world as a whole, and it becomes an experience through the lens of my own artistic perspective.
LD: What challenges have you faced?
AA: One thing I feel I have faced -- a surprising amount actually -- is lack of collaboration and lack of support within a collaboration. This summer was a huge challenge in learning how to be a better collaborator and communicator especially in situations where that is not reciprocated. This will hopefully help in future situations where I encounter the same issues. It has also taught me the importance of being in a healthy community where collaboration and creativity is encouraged.
LD: Do you have a bucket list item?
AA: I’d love to go to every National Park in the United States. I’ve always loved traveling and the outdoors so I’ve made a pretty decent dent in the list, but one day I’d love to complete that list.
LD: What are you hoping to take away from your experience at LDI 2025?
AA: I am hoping to network and gain as much knowledge and information as possible so I can enter the industry maybe just a little bit more ready. Also, while I am still in school, teach others what I learned so they can gain from the knowledge and skills I have learned at LDI.