The course is highly
respected within the theatre
industry and has a strong
graduate employment
record. On the course you
work on live projects with
partner organisations and
companies.
BA/BA (Hons)
Costume Design
and Construction
Costume design and
construction is the process of
designing and constructing
bespoke sets of clothing for
performers in theatre, film, TV
and many other aspects of the
entertainment and leisure
industries. Costume designers
and makers research, design,
and source or construct these
‘costumes’ for characters,
fictional or historical, and for
performers of many kinds. The
art and craft of creating,
delivering and maintaining this
essential aspect of performance
is the central focus of this
course.
The course has a strongly vocational
element which is embedded in the six
professional practice modules (two of
them in each of the first three years of
the degree). In these, you work as part of
a team delivering the costumes for a
series of live projects working in
collaboration with partner organisations
and companies. This unique structure is
central to the way we teach.
Grouped around this structure and
supporting your learning in Years One
and Two are a series of modules which
will develop your research and design
skills, your analytic and writing skills, and
your construction and wardrobe
management expertise.
In Year Three, the preferences and
choices available to you within the
modules enable you to begin to
specialise by working in greater depth on
two or more of the varieties of pathways
that costume practice offers — perhaps
millinery and head wear, or the design of
costume for film, or historical cut and
construction.
You can extend your knowledge of these
chosen skills in your industry placement
and in your Independent Research and
Construction Project — as well as in the
responsible key production roles as
designer, supervisor or specialist maker.
In Year Four, if you decide to undertake
the honours year as many of our
students do, the emphasis is on refining
your chosen areas of future practice,
using the Independent Professional
Practice options to gain practical
experience and make contacts in the
wider world. Also in Year Four, the
Creative Entrepreneurship module is
designed to help you focus on
developing clarity about your future
employment options while proving your
expertise and academic research skills
through the honours study.
Garment Cutting and Construction/
Introduction to Visual Communication
Skills/ Introduction to Research and
Costume Design/ Introduction to Theatre
Production/ Professional Practice as a
Wardrobe Trainee
Year Two modules
Introduction to Professional Practice as a
Costume Assistant/ Professional Practice
as a Costume Assistant/ Costume
Design and Scenography/
Complementary Construction Skills/
Advanced Cut and Construction/ Career
Management
Year Three modules
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 each year
as outlined.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Please see the course entry on our
website (see URL on opposite page) for
full details of the learning, teaching and
assessment activities for this course.
Also check out the ‘How we teach and
how you’ll learn’ section on pages 8-11.
Year One modules
Introduction to Professional Practice as a
Wardrobe Trainee/ Introduction to
120
Professional Practice in a Key Role 1/
Professional Practice in a Key Role 2/
Independent Research and Construction
Project/ Industry Placement
Year Four modules
Honours Study/ Creative Entrepreneurial
Project/ plus options including:
Independent Professional Practice: Work
Experience/ Independent Professional
Practice: Collaborative Project/
Independent Professional Project: Major
Project
The modules listed here are correct at
time of print (Feb 2018) but may differ
slightly to those offered in 2019 following
the next revalidation. Please check the
website for any updates.