Costume Construction, BA

at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

Year 1: Projects and workshops

• Understand the role of the costume interpreter, including pattern drafting, sewing techniques, dyeing and breaking down skills and taught sessions on costume supervision.

• You will work with a professional designer producing costumes for a tableau vivant and adapting a modern pattern block to making period underwear, such as corsetry and crinolines.

• You will work as part of a team on a public production, dressing and undertaking wardrobe maintenance.
   

Year 2: Skill development

• Developing skills: pattern cutting for men and women, cutting and draping on the mannequin, and tailoring techniques.

• You will make outfits for Central’s public productions, and costumes chosen based on your personal interest, such as a tutu, frock coat or a prop costume.

• You will have the opportunity to undertake a placement with a professional company, or assist a costume supervisor on a professional production.
   

Year 3: Focus on professional development

• Acting as Head of Department on a full scale realised production in the Embassy Theatre or Webber Douglas Studio, you will take on the role of Wardrobe Supervisor managing the costumes and students in the costume dressing teams.

• You will undertake professional projects and placements, researching and making a costume to their specifications, and working with a professional company to create costumes, or to costume supervise.

• You will participate in a public exhibition presenting your best work to invited industry employers.

Our standard academic entry requirements range between 120 and 64 UCAS tariff points. You can see how many tariff points your qualifications would gain on the UCAS Tariff Calculator. International qualifications and others not covered within the UCAS tariff can also be accepted. 
 

Please note that we make lower offers (including unconditional) to exceptional candidates and those who have alternative or prior experience to offer. All candidates invited to interview are asked to bring a portfolio. Interview and portfolio are key factors in determining which applicants are accepted on to the course.

English Language Requirements

Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to prove their English language proficiency by gaining an overall score of 7.0 in an IELTS test. We do accept equivalent English language qualifications. Applicants are advised to gain this certification as early as possible and more information can be found
 

The fees for Costume Construction, BA  may vary from £20,000 to £35,000 annually for tuition fees. The fee's prices may get higher for International Students.

Graduate employment and career pathways include:
 

• Costume Maker, The Nutcracker (Disney), Camden Costumes.
• Costume Supervisor, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
• Deputy Head of Wardrobe, Opera Holland Park.
• Resident Wardrobe Mistress, Hampstead Theatre.
• Dressers, The Book Of Mormon.
• Wardrobe Mistress, The Tricycle Theatre and tour, The Father.
• Archivist, The Fulham Palace Costume Collection.
• Internship, Royal Shakespeare Company costume department.
• Design Assistant, Hand and Lock.
• Costume Assistant, P&O Cruises.
• Apprentice Tailor, Roxy Cressy Theatrical.
• Recent further study, master’s degrees, University of Glasgow, Museum Studies with Dress and Textile Histories.