Sewing up a career path

When Alex Culley was just 3 years old, his teacher sent a note home telling his parents he was exceptionally good at using scissors. By age 5, he had picked up a needle and was trying to sew things by hand.

"I had these kits where you could make two stuffed animals, a person-sized version and a doll-sized version. I made a lot of those throughout the years," he said.

Those first attempts to stitch together a stuffed animal sparked an interest in sewing that brought Culley to study fashion and innovation in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Delaware. And thanks to a competitive intern-to-apprentice program offered by the Department of Theatre and Dance, he's currently using his fashion knowledge and sewing skills to fulfill a dream - working as a paid stitcher in the costume department of Resident Ensemble Players (REP), UD's professional theatre company.

The program begins when students register for THEA408: Theatre Practicum. The hands-on course provides students with practical experience across various aspects of theatre, including performance, costumes, lighting, scenery, props, stage management and arts administration. The most successful students are offered apprenticeships - the opportunity to get paid professional experience in the skills they've just learned.