In not trying to offend or write off your request, there is not a lot there to provide help on. Another concept to consider is to design what you wish first, than worry about making it become reality second. Yes you have seen shows with other types of drape, what type of drape or
effect did you have in mind if it's the starting
point to your design concept? By modern and fresh, do you mean a scenery drape
effect or by way of design for say a box set at a location? What about a bunch of rolls of tin foil taped to a
batten than slit on 1" centers? You than have a sort of glimmer drape. Different than a black drape especially if there is any wind movement. Simple/cheap/done, just a question of even with the most remote of concept for design first having one, than figuring out how to make it reality. If a silvery glimmer drape is not quite what you had in mind, it's something in concept to cross off the design list for ideas in refining what your design intent is. Still it's all based upon what you had in mind for your set. Many rock bands have
LED and even video walls as a
backdrop, if this is in mind for modern
etc. there might be a way to do this. First this has to be a specific and more refined intent.
Just a concept or thought to consider in as opposed to designing around what you find or get sent your way, doing something you design, than firuring out how to make it reality under the challenge of no budget. No budget is not a design limitation as long as you figure out another way of doing it and have time to get it done. Quick, good and cheap are three production realities. Cross off one and the other two are required. Cross off two and you have less than you wish to some extent. Thus also if quick and cheap is desired, you loose what looks good often if not quick at very least has little fore thought.
You can as a concept change a pillow into a sword with a
bit of stuffing, sewing and cutting, plus a few hardening agents or added stiffeners. On the other
hand if you have a few pillows laying about, and your show were really better off with swords instead of pillows, short of design intent for needing swords, there would be no reason to consider making them into what they are not. Instead, having a few pillows about, it's a pillow fight that might work but if intended to be a serious fight, such pillows lying about would not help the show. First design, than figure out how.
While it's possible to do a show by way of anything about, normally those types of shows that are without specific needs in doing take much more design effort to make work out well than those with a specific need and design intended.
What I used to say to designers was - just design the thing, let me figure out how to make it work. What I might recommend to you is less worry about what physically might be brought to task in making the design, and more design than figure out how to physically make your concept into great art at this
stage. Once you have the concept of what you would like to see on
stage figured out, the rest in making it appear on
stage - no matter what the budget is often easy enough to find a solution to. You in part have a start to a design concept. Go with it and expand upon it. Worry about the details after you can state what
effect you desire.