Costume Construction, BA

This course remains open to new applications. If you make an application via UCAS, your application will be marked as 'late' but will still be considered for progression to interview and this will not affect your chances of being offered a place

Course information

Duration
3 years full-time
Course start
October
Award
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Theatre Practice

UCAS code

Institution
C35
Course
W460

About this course

On the Costume Construction pathway of BA (Hons) Theatre Practice, you will: 

  • Develop skills in costume interpretation and creation
  • Learn pattern drafting, women’s and men’s costume making, hat making and accessories  
  • Undertake costume supervision and placements with professional companies and designers  
  • Work closely with students of all other theatre disciplines to contribute to the overall understanding of performance and theatre production. 

Technically skilled and creatively inventive ‘makers’ are an essential part of any production team, sensitive to the stylistic intentions of the designer and director. The training will principally be in theatre, but these skills are widely transferable to different environments, including television, film and major live events.

What is a costume constructor?

The work of the costume constructor is to interpret the given costume designs, whether period or modern, abstract or representational. As part of the production team, you will work closely with the costume designer to interpret the brief and create costumes and accessories to the level of finish expected by contemporary audiences, and are able to research and understand the time, place and narrative of the production through analysis of scripts and creative concepts.  

Alongside high-level and varied costume making skills, you will develop skills in time management, resource management, budgeting and scheduling, working closely with students of all other theatre disciplines to contribute to the overall understanding of performance and theatre production. 

What is costume construction?

Costume construction is a craft that requires the making of garments suited to the modern body, while achieving correct shapes and silhouettes for particular eras and designs. You will learn to produce garments that are appropriate for the character and comfortable to enable the performer to use costume to enhance their performance. The course does not focus solely on historical garments and is proud of the range of projects included.

Course Leader, Caroline Townsend explains the difference between Costume Construction and Costume Design

Second-year Entry

You can apply for second-year entry to this course if you have already undertaken first year study at another institution on a relevant course, taken a HND and HNC qualification or have relevant experience. Please contact openevents@cssd.ac.uk to find out more

Accordion

  • Course Detail

    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.
  • Industry Placements

    From the second year, you will have the opportunity to arrange placements across a wide range of professional companies that work with Central, allowing access to many performance styles and industry locations.

    Previous work placements

    These include Costume departments of:

    • The Royal Opera House
    • Shakespeare’s Globe
    • The Bloomsbury Theatre
    • Southwark Playhouse
    • The Royal Academy of Music
    • Philip Treacy, Hand and Lock
    • Costume internship with the Royal Shakespeare Company
    • Costume supervisors’ departments on the West End production of Funny Girl and the National Theatre
    • Chichester Festival Theatre with costume supervisor Karen Large and Channel 5 Documentary Inside Holloway with designer/supervisor Karen Hobbs.

    Work with professional designers & costume supervisors

    Students have also worked with designers and costume supervisors such as:

    • Bob Bailey (The Happiest Day Of My Life, DV8; Anything Goes, UK Tours)
    • Sara Perks (American Idol, Arts Theatre; The King And I, Leicester Curve)
    • Sarah Beaton (Attachment, The Old Vic; This Is Living, Trafalgar Studios).
    • Hannah McMahon-Major (English Touring Opera)
    • Rosie Neate (A Little Neck, Goat and Monkey; After Troy, Lifeblood Theatre).

    Other opportunities with professional companies

    You will have opportunities to work with professional companies across a wide range of productions. The following gives an overview of recent activity in this area:

    First-year students have worked with set and costume designer Simon Kenny on the Tableau Vivant Project and costume designer/supervisor Helen Coyston on Friends Of Narcissus at the Minack Theatre;

    Second and third year students have assisted costume supervisor Hilary Lewis on The Heresy Of Love at Shakespeare’s Globe; assisted costume supervisor Natasha Prynne on Carmen for the Nevill Holt Opera; assisted costume supervisor Samantha Pickering on A Mad World, My Masters for English Touring Theatre; worked with designer Keith Orton making costumes for London Assurance at the Miller Centre and undertaken an internship with Philip Treacy.

    Recently second and third year students undertook placements with Hand and Lock, English Touring Theatre, the Royal Opera House, Disney alterations department for Beauty And The Beast, The Conran Shop, The BBC Redux project and the National Theatre costume department.

    In the final year, there is the opportunity to work with a professional company to create costumes for one of their productions. For example, many students (and graduates) have undertaken work experience with the White Horse Theatre Company as costume makers and costume supervisors.

  • Graduate Employment

    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.
    • Notable Alumni

      Sophea Bailey (2016) has worked in the costume departments of West End productions including; 42nd Street (Drury Lane Theatre); Kinky Boots (The Adelphi Theatre/Broadway/UK Tour); Dreamgirls The Musical, and Funny Girl (both at The Savoy Theatre). She has also provided costume assistance for music artists and bands including The Black Eyed Peas and Ellie Goulding, as well as being the Wardrobe Mistress for the MTV European Music Awards between 2016 to 2018.  

      Valeria Cantelli (2014) is a Costume Maker with film credits including Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Beauty and The Beast. She has also worked in the costume departments of English National Opera and The Royal Opera House.

      Yiran Duan (2019) runs a business teaching traditional Chinese embroidery and surface decoration skills.

      Sarah Ferdinando (2008) is a costume maker with film credits including; CruellaWonder Woman 1984, and the next instalment in the James Bond movie franchise, No Time to Die. Her previous film credits as a Costume Maker include Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

      Megan Howell (2015) has worked for Camden Costume as Costume Maker working on popular TV, Film and Theatre productions. She is now working on a freelance basis and as a Seasonal Tailor at Glyndebourne Opera House.

      Jessica Pile (2012) is Production Director at Hand & Lock, London’s premier embroidery house providing embellishment services to the Royal Family, top European design houses, the Royal Armed Forces, and Savile Row. 

      Georgia Smithers (2019) recent television and film work include Trainee Costume Embellisher for Netflix’s production of Bridgerton and Junior Costume Embellisher for Fox’s production of Cinderella. She has also worked in theatre as Design Assistant for the Fairy Queen at the Waterperry Opera Festival and Costume Maker for Les Misérables in London.

      Hanne Talbot (2015) is a freelance Costume Maker/Supervisor with theatre credits including; Funny Girl (Menier Chocolate Factory); Kenny Morgan (Arcola Theatre); Aladdin (Victoria Theatre, Halifax), and Maggot Moon (Unicorn Theatre).

      Rhys Tucker (2007) was Head of Wardrobe for the national touring production of Wicked between 2017-19. Rhys has worked in the wardrobe departments of other West End shows including The Rocky Horror Show and The Phantom of the Opera.

    • Recent Visiting Professionals

      Lorraine Westhead, Brigid Strowbridge, Karen Hobbs, Karen Large, Jane Smith, Rachel Young, Kate Flanaghan, Nancy Betton, Lydia Cawson, Simon Kenny, Hannah McMahon-Major, Natasha Prynne.

    • Entry Requirements and Admissions

      Minimum Entry Requirements

      Our standard academic entry requirements range between 120 and 64 UCAS tariff points. As part of meeting these tariff points, we consider a range of qualifications including A Levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. 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 email us if you need further clarification.

      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.

      We particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in higher education, such as students with disabilities and members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups. Find out more information on Central’s commitment to equality and diversity.

      Admission with Academic Credit

      For information on alternative entry requirements see www.ucas.com.

      Interviews

      Find out more about the interview process for this course.

      International Interviews

      Each year Central hosts a number of interviews outside of the UK, with a team of tutors from Central travelling to meet applicants. The international interviews are designed to replicate the London-based interview experience in every aspect (other than a tour of our site!). See our Event Finder for listings of upcoming interview locations and dates.

      International Students

      Visit the International Students section to view details of English language requirements for Central’s courses.

    • Tuition Fees, Bursaries and Scholarships

      Tuition Fees for 2024 Entry

      UK (Home) students: £9,250 per year*
      Overseas students: £25,200 per year

      Please note that there may be additional costs that you need to incur as part of the training for the course.

      Full information is available on the Tuition Fees and Additional Costs page.


      Bursaries and Scholarships

      Central offers a range of bursaries and scholarships. If you are holding an offer for a place on a course then you will be invited to apply for a bursary or scholarship.

      UK-based undergraduate students who are applying for a student maintenance loan and have a household income under £35,000 will automatically be awarded our Access to Central Bursary.

      *If you are a UK student but already hold a qualification at the equivalent or higher level to the one that you are applying for, then you may be classed as an ELQ student and be required to pay the same fee as an overseas student.

    Student Feedback

    “I feel that being a student here has really given me the experience and the confidence to be able to become a professional and I can’t thank Central enough for that. For example, on placement I worked within wardrobe and costume on the Pinewood Studios film Crooked House which was a fantastic experience and I learnt a lot about the industry.”

    Lauren Hall

    Graduated 2016, recent theatre credits include Beauty and the Beast at The Playhouse Theatre and the UK tour of An Evening of Dirty Dancing.

    “Studying at Central has prepared me so well for the industry. The collaborative nature of the course, small class sizes, working to real time on public productions and industry placements allowed me to gain the confidence to work in professional environments through a range of experiences. The skills and knowledge I have learnt has given me a great foundation.”

    Eloise Geffryes

    Graduated 2017, film work includes Trainee Costume Maker for Aladdin and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald, as Costume Maker for Leicester’s Curve Theatre.

    Staff On The Course

    Kathrine Sandys is a scenographer, researcher and academic.

    Dr Kathrine Sandys

    Caroline Townsend is a costume maker in men’s and women’s wear for stage and screen and an academic in costume construction.

    Black and white headshot of Caroline Townsend

    UniStats Widget

    Course Video

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