BA/BA (Hons) Costume Design and Construction

Costume design and construction is the process of creating and manufacturing clothing and accessories for performers in theatre, film, television and other associated media sectors. Costume designers and makers research, design, source and construct costumes for real or fictional characters, creating practical, bespoke items relevant to historical period and style.

This vocational and highly practical course examines costume design and construction both conceptually and practically. The course collaborates with our other performing arts courses as well as external productions and projects and you will work on a variety of productions throughout your time on the course.

You will study a range of modules each year which will cover elements of both costume design and costume construction. In Years One and Two, the modules are focused on skills acquisition and imbedding knowledge of the processes involved in making costume and the wider perspective of making theatre and performance. Some are classroom-based looking at the process of theatre production, but you will also spend much of your time designing and making costumes for the university productions and other collaborative projects.

In Year Three, you will elect to follow either the design route or the construction route through your last two years of study. This enables the tutors to guide you towards your chosen area of specialism and career path. At this level you will function as team leaders in either design or construction and will be responsible for realising all costumes for the university productions and other collaborative projects.

You will also have the opportunity of arranging and experiencing a professional placement with an external organisation or company of your choice, relevant to your chosen career path.

In Year Four, modules are focussed firmly on industry entry, whilst remaining predominantly practical in nature. You will have the choice of studying independently on practical projects or to collaborate with students on university projects that suit your developmental needs.

You will also complete an Honours dissertation study on a relevant subject to costume design and construction, which is of particular academic, vocational or professional interest to you.
Structure:You can opt to study for an Honours degree over four years or an Ordinary degree over three years. You will complete a range of modules, as outlined, each year and a dissertation in Year Four.

• This practical, vocational course is unique in Scotland in that it blends the theory with practice.
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• The course is highly respected within the theatre industry and graduates consistently gain employment on completion of the course.
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  Placement: There is a formal professional placement in Year Three, but you will have opportunities to work with professional companies throughout your four years