BA Production Arts - Costume

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Costume students at Guildhall School gain a broad-based understanding of all aspects of the costume industry, with opportunities to specialise in your preferred area. This unique pathway will enable you to follow the costume process from design to realisation.

Costume Pathway

Costume students at Guildhall School gain a broad-based understanding of all aspects of the costume industry. This unique pathway will enable you to follow the costume process from design to realisation, explore the work of designing, supervising, making and dressing, and develop your own particular journey in the wider field of Costume.

As a Costume student, you will:

Explore a broad range of relevant skills including costume design, construction, alterations, dyeing, ageing and distressing; fabric sampling, styling; costume fittings, dressing, and running wardrobe; costume sourcing, hiring and buying; costing, budgeting and administration
Work alongside professional costume designers and supervisors, and learn costume craft on fully staged projects and productions
Undertake a Costume for Design Project
Have the opportunity to enhance areas of costume practice on placements, making projects and realised productions
Research the history and culture of fashion
Focus on practice for costume industry employment

Studying on this programme you will learn a broad range of skills including:

Pattern cutting & making
Dyeing and breaking down techniques
Fabric sampling
Bone bodice making
Alteration and embellishment skills
History of fashion
Styling
Costume sourcing, hiring and buying
Wardrobe for performance
The effect of lighting on costume
Costume fittings
Costume design
Understanding costing and budgeting

Costume students work on a variety of different productions, events and digital projects.

Future Careers

Potential careers for Costume students include:

Designer
Supervisor
Dresser
Fitter
Stand-by
Running wardrobe
Co-ordinator
Textile artist
Buyer
Maker
Cutter