BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design

COURSE OVERVIEW

Programme Specifications BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design UCAS CODE W452 UCAS TARIFF 96 - 112 BA (Hons) 3 YEARS

The Costume programme is one of the leaders in developing competitive graduates for the field of the entertainment industries by focusing on career ready education through a combination of taught skills, collaborative learning and professional practice. Internationally recognised for the distinction of our graduates, the programme is characterised by high standards and currency of skills and knowledge, inspiring our students to enter their chosen profession confidently and progress quickly. The success of our graduates is attributed to the expert teaching of the costume skills required by industry, alongside a mixture of bespoke skills that are unique to this degree (leather work etc). Learning with the industry standard facilities, resources and a costume archive whilst working with local and industry leaders in costume on collabrative projects empowers our students to fulfil their academic aspirations and make a meaningful impact in the world of entertainment. Members of The Costume Society & the Northern Society of Costume & Textiles

Slide

COURSE DETAILS
WHAT TO EXPECT
WHAT YOU WILL STUDY
WORK EXPERIENCE
ALUMNI
PORTFOLIO ADVICE
INDUSTRY LIAISON

You will receive full training in the skills, techniques and craft you need to create superb costume for film, television, theatre and performance as well as beautiful evening and bridal wear, including:

• costume & clothing design
• millinery (hat-making)
• tailoring
• leatherwork - leather moulding/embossing
• mask-making
• corsetry

By the end of your three years, you will be able to design, source materials and create full costumes. You will showcase your designs in a final degree show which will be seen by industry specialists. The programme is built on strong industrial relationships and you may have the opportunity to work on live briefs, work placements and collaborate with students from a range of our other programmes including Acting and Film, TV and Theatre Production; this will enable you to gain a real understanding of the costume industry.

Awards
The Godber Theatre Foundation Prize 2021

Costume Designers Guild 2019 'Costume excellence in Contemporary television'

Nominee (Alumni) Fleabag, BBC

Our school engages with a wide range of partners working across each creative sub-sector to ensure that teaching and learning are in line with the latest developments in and requirements of industry, including:

Amber Butchart
Amber Butchart is a curator, writer and broadcaster who specialises in the cultural and political history of textiles and dress. Amber is a longstanding friend of The School – she was the Valedictory Speaker at our 2019 Graduation Ceremony and has delivered talks and worked with our costume students. She is perhaps best known for her regular appearances on The Great British Sewing Bee and her own TV series for BBC ‘A Stitch In Time’. She is a frequent contributor to TV and radio and has published five books on fashion and cultural history.
amberbutchart.com

Angels Costumes
Angels Costumes is the go-to costume provider for high end TV and feature films as well as theatre. They were established back in 1840 and have the largest collection of costumes and accessories anywhere in the world. They design, make and hire costume to an amazing range of productions. Their credits include:
The Crown, Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocket Man, Aladdin, Beauty and The Beast, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Dads Army, Death of Stalin, Emerald City, Florence Foster Jenkins, Brooklyn, Peaky Blinders, Taboo, Swallows and Amazons, Sleepy Hollow, Victoria, Call The Midwife, Downton Abbey, Wolf Hall, Poldark, Assassins Creed, and Peaky Blinders, to name just a small sample. Many of these have attracted Oscar and BAFTA awards and nominations.
angels.co.uk

Gillian Wolfe Head of costume Beamish Museum
Beamish is a world famous outdoor museum which recreates different periods from the Georgian through to the 1950s. It is a living, working museum that uses its collections to connect with people from all walks of life and tells the story of everyday life in the North East of England. As such all staff wear period relevant and accurate costume to help transport visitors back in time.
beamish.org.uk

Student Voice

Watch now to find out what it's like to be a costume student on our unique degree programme!

Student Work

Behind the scenes with Johan Kusters - Costume by student Marloes Peerenboom

FACILITIES

Our equipment and facilities reflect many of the tools used in the real world, so you graduate ready for the world of employment. The learning environment we provide is unique, offering a sewing studio which is in a 1800s public library and individual work bays for all students.

STAFF

JANE HAVAKIN

Senior Lecturer - BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design Prior to her academic career, Jane was self-employed for 10 years supplying costumes to film, TV, a variety of clothing outlets worldwide and performance costumes to a variety of artists, including the Spice Girls. She also worked with various television wardrobe departments, including Channel 4 - designing and making outfits for a number of presenters for programmes including Changing Rooms, The Big Breakfast  and ITV – supplying costumes for The Bill. Jane ran her own clothing label, supplying fashions to a variety of clothing outlets worldwide, including Galleries Lafayette Paris and Harrods as well as a number of concession shops in John Lewis and Top Shop’s flagship store on Oxford Street. Qualifications: PGCE, MA, FHEA

IAN BOWDEN

Module Leader Ian is Module Leader for Costume Design, Tailoring and Cut & Construction on the costume programme, working across all three year groups. Guiding the students through their studies, including a range of specialist traditional handcraft techniques incorporating bespoke Tailoring, garment construction and hand finishing techniques, also underpinning the importance of the character, when designing and constructing costumes. As well as incorporating live assignments within the industry, including Auckland Castle and Beamish open air museum, students have the opportunity to collaborate with Production Design for Stage and Screen, Acting and Film, on in-house projects as well as live assignments within sessions. Ian is active within the costume industry, having been involved with a large number of local productions and museums, including Beamish open air Museum (2015), Kynren – Eleven Arches (2017) and ‘The Theatre upstairs’ Billingham (2013/ 2016), as well as running several successful specialist night courses at Cleveland College of Art and Design, including corsetry and beginning to sew (2014/ 2015). Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE, FHEA

SALLY DONEGAN

Lecturer Sally began working at Cleveland College of Art and Design in 2016 on the BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design course, lecturing on pattern cutting, construction techniques, embellishment, millinery, tailoring and design, across all three year groups. Since graduating, Sally has gone on to work on shows at the National Theatre, Scottish Opera, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Opera North and Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, gaining a high skill base. During her time at Cleveland College of Art and Design, Sally has continued to keep a strong link with the industry, teaching students key skills, and integrating live industry briefs into student modules - working with Creature Encounters, Kynren and Bishop Auckland Castle. Sally has a keen eye for historical clothing and accuracy within construction techniques. Now as a lecturer for BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design, Sally aims to share her industry experience and knowledge with students. Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE

FRANCES STOCKELL

Technical Demonstrator Fran’s professional career spans over 30 years prior to joining the costume department in 2017 and in that time, she has continued to develop her professional practice through activities, research and accumulating various qualifications including achieving her PGCE! She uses her experience of pattern drafting, fine sewing skills and garment construction to support the student’s studies and the production of costumes for various live projects. Her role involves the delivery of demonstrations to all modules, across the three levels of BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design, as well as ensuring a safe working environment whilst on campus. Fran’s professional career since 1986 has included a variety of costume construction work, beginning with a 10 year tailoring background, being one of the only dressmakers in the north east of England who constructed mess dresses for the military, for the UK and around the world, along with jointly owning a successful costume business. Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE

CAREER PATHS

This degree is for you if you wish to have a career in:

COSTUME DESIGN

COSTUME MAKING

PATTERN CUTTING

TEACHING & LECTURING

COSTUME EMBELLISHMENT & SURFACE DECORATION

HERITAGE INDUSTRY

PROM / BRIDAL DESIGN / MAKING

WARDROBE SUPERVISOR / ASSISTANT

COSTUME ILLUSTRATION

MILLINERY

TAILORING

NEWS

Costume degree alumni Leigh Telford & Katie Macdonald on working behind the curtain of West End production Hamilton!

Dec 19 2024BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation with Design alumni Leigh Telford and Katie Macdonald offer insight into working on t...

TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXCITING MASTER'S DEGREES WE HAVE TO OFFER!

MA Arts Practice - MA Design Practice - MA Design History -MA Directing & Theatre Making

Masters Degrees