EXPERIENCE:
CARPENTER & NEW PARENT – Current
With theatres closing due to the Covid pandemic & lockdown,
I focused on a combination of residential carpentry and renovating my Victorian house, which needed considerable remodelling and refurbishment. This coincided with the birth of my son in 2020, and my priority for the past 24 months has been looking after him. Now that he is settled in nursery I am returning to work.
NATIONAL THEATRE  – CARPENTER / July - August 2022
I worked at the National Theatre in the carpentry department covering staff shortages due to illness, completing three show builds for the three stages.
RESPONSIBILITY:
* Assisted with planning, assembly, installation and dismantling of sets.
* Operated various equipments including hand and power tools & carpentry equipments.
* Erection of new flats and scenic items and alteration to existing sets.
* Carpentry related theatre building repairs and renovations.
* Adherence to Health & safety standards and practices, in workshop

ALL SCENE ALL PROPS – CARPENTER / Jan 2016-March 2021
Founded by Danny Hayter and Piers Ross in 2000, All Scene All Props had an enviable reputation within the industry for the quality and execution of the projects that they produced. 
With previous experience in prop making with Footsbarn Theatre company, in 2016 I joined All Scene and quickly developed a skill-set for a wide variety of construction and scenic art techniques to cater for all types of projects. We worked regularly on some of the most well-known and successful shows for the best theatres in the UK including The Bridge Theatre, The Donmar Warehouse, The Old Vic, The Young Vic, as well as large West End musicals such as Kinky Boots, Tina and 42nd Street.
All Scene's high output was delivered by a relatively small work–force. This meant that I was working across several productions simultaneously, moving flexibly between departments, including paint and props. I had the pleasure of working alongside the talented and highly experienced Maya Kazmarski, who made the science, alchemy and creativity of the scenic arts look effortless.

RESPONSIBILITY:
* Assisting with planning, assembly, installation and dismantling of sets.
* Erecting new flats and scenic items and altering existing sets.
* Operating various equipment such as hand and power tools, and metalworking and carpentry equipment.
* Weighing, logging and loading finalised sets and props onto trucks ready for transportation to theatres.
* Organising and maintaining inventories of scenery items, equipment, and related supplies.
* Carpentry based theatre building repairs and renovations.
* Following established Health and Safety standards and practices, in the workshop and on-site in theatres.
* Etching spray metalwork.
* Assisting scenic arts and props when required.
* Assisting the metalwork department when required.

ART DIRECTION,  COPYWRITING
17 YEARS PERMANENT, CONTRACT & FREELANCE, AGENCY
EXPERIENCE 2000-2017

PERMANENT ROLES:
Ogilvy One
Fallon
Mother London 
Wolf Ollins
Kessels Kramer Amsterdam
Left & Right  (a company which I established)  

FREELANCE ROLES:
In addition to permanent positions, I also worked on numerous freelance contracts in my time as a art director including, Havas, RedBee, Hypernaked and Chemistry.

MR NEIL AITKEN
Tel. +44 (0) 795 749 7019
neil@mister-aitken.com

PROFILE:
I have extensive expertise in set construction and build for large and medium scale West End productions, opera houses, regional venues, and a range of other clients. In addition to set building, I have experience in residential carpentry, interior and exterior.
With a keen eye for detail, I demonstrate a thorough consideration for all aspects of a project, finding solutions that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. I have an excellent ability to multi–task and work well within a team. I am a fast learner, relish challenges, and am able to problem solve throughout the life of a project.
Prior to working in set building, I worked in the design and advertising industry for 17 years as an Art Director, Designer, and Copywriter. A desire to reconnect with a
tangible, physical world led me to set construction, having worked within theatre previously as a prop-maker. I found that with manual competence came a greater level of fulfilment and satisfaction with a job well done.
I continue to have a passion for design in all its incarnations. In addition, over several years, I have designed and created self–initiated projects,
a selection of which can be viewed on my site.

KEY SKILLS:
Carpentry

Ability to read technical drawings

Problem solving

Creative Thinking

Attention to detail

Numeracy 

Patience

EDUCATION:
Central St Martins School of Art & Design BA Honours Graphic Design.
Foundation Central St Martins School of Art & Design
Footsbarn Travelling Theatre prop & set construction, France
Exeter College, A level Art & Design
St Thomas High School, CSE & O Level grades

INTERESTS:
Product Design, Woodwork,  Architecture, Photography, Theatre, Film, Fine Art, Cooking, Entertaining my son.

SOFTWARE PROFICIENT:
Mac OS, Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Acrobat Professional, Microsoft Office, Quark, Keynote & PowerPoint, SketchUp.