Course summary

Plymouth College of Art has been granted full university status and formally recognised with the new title of Arts University Plymouth, following approval by the Privy Council. This makes us the City of Plymouth’s first specialist arts university. The title of Arts University Plymouth signifies a change to the way that the world will see us, our position within the sector and the mobility of our graduates; but not a change in the way that we see ourselves or what we do. Arts University Plymouth will build upon the existing strength of our unique culture and incredible community; we have no plans to change the specialist focus of the work we do together. The name Arts University Plymouth will appear on our qualifications, making it easier for employers and peers to recognise that our students were taught at a leading specialist arts university. In May 2022 we were awarded the Best Small or Specialist University at the 2022 WhatUni Student Choice Awards, coming top in a list of well-respected specialist UK universities, based on unbiased and honest reviews from students across the UK, in a category that highlights the quality of our provision as a specialist creative university. Our intensive and practical Costume Production course will transform you into an outstanding costumier, ready for a wide range of careers in the performing arts – including television, film, theatre, ballet, opera and heritage industries. From illustrating ideas and researching silhouettes to recreating historic garments and writing narratives - on this course you will develop your practical rigour and understanding of key design principles for costume. Using our state-of-the-art workshops you will develop costumes, wearable props and prosthetics, using textiles, plastics, wood, metals, digital fabrication, and 3D making. You’ll also benefit from masterclasses led by experts in specialist areas such as millinery and make-up artistry. You’ll gain experience working on live commissions, developing essential organisational and communication skills, alongside entering international competitions, such as New Zealand’s World of Wearable Art, and Costume Society’s Patterns of Fashion, in which our students have reached the finals two years in a row. Your learning will be supported by a dedicated team of professionals who have worked for theatre companies including the Royal Exchange Manchester, Royal Shakespeare Company, and West End productions by Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber. You’ll also gain real-world insights from visiting professionals like Cathy Tate, Amanda Barrow and Jane Stuart Brown. In TV and film, our students have contributed to BBC’s ‘Poldark’, ‘Frontier’ by Take the Shot Productions, Canada, and BAFTA-winning director Robert Young’s film ‘Curse of the Phoenix’, which won the Platinum Award at Houston WorldFest. As well as working behind the scenes of smash-hit stage productions such as ‘Wicked’, ‘The Book of Mormon’, ‘Wind in the Willows’ and touring shows from the Actors Wheel, including ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and ‘King Lear’. Our students also create costumes for exhibition purposes, gaining commission from the National Trust, showcasing their skill at major events such as TheatreCraft and Destinations, London, and attending immersive theatre to view large-scale costume in action (such as Puy Du Fou historical theme park and Les Machines de L’ile). Students from this course have been awarded internships at prestigious institutions, including Glyndebourne, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Birmingham Royal Ballet and National Theatre. Graduates can become:

• Costume makers

• Prop makers

• Designers

• Stylists

• Buyers

• Wardrobe managers

• Theatrical milliners

• Heritage professionals