COURSE OVERVIEW
Programme Specifications BA (Hons) Set Design for Stage and Screen
UCAS CODE W490
UCAS TARIFF 96 - 112
BA (Hons)
3 YEARS
Our BA (Hons) degree in Set Design for Stage and Screen gives students the skills required of professionals working in this exciting industry. Undergraduates will work over three years to develop the needed and more niche skills of this craft such as: prop making, sculpting, concept art and character development. These specialties give our graduates a competitive edge when applying for roles after graduation.
This degree offers you a unique and challenging opportunity to develop a range of specialist skills in set design and the development and production of props and characters. With more than twenty years’ experience in developing production designers for the industry we provide a degree that will allow graduates to stand out from the crowd with a mix of niche skills. You will be designing sets, characters and props from your first term.
Learning the skills to develop, design and then build your vision. You will learn from experienced, industry connected specialists. Gaining the skills you need to build an exciting career as a set or prop designer in the film, television and theatre industries. This is a hands-on degree. Students will draw, design and learn the processes and rigour of construction. You will have the opportunity to develop a high level of craftsmanship in a range of skills from designing opera theatres to building television sets. Students have access to a wide range of technical and specialist equipment.
This degree programmes technical resources include industry standard machines, hand tools, laser cutters, 3D printers, a full scale set construction workshop and digital software. The Northern School of Art is a collaborative community and our undergraduates work across degrees to experience a full production process including acting,Model Making & Visual FX,theatre and tv production and costume design.
The Northern School of Art’s BA (Hons) Film, Television & Theatre Production and BA (Hons) in Production Design for Stage and Screen degree students took home an award for Best Production Design and an Honourable mention at the 2021 Kodak Nahemi Student Commercial Awards.
The Northern School of Art’s BA (Hons) Film, Television & Theatre Production and BA (Hons) in Production Design for Stage and Screen degree students took home an award for Best Production Design and an Honourable mention at the 2021 Kodak Nahemi Student Commercial Awards.
Student Voice
Watch now to find out more about what it's like to be a student on this degree programme!
STAFF
TONY SHAW
Senior Lecturer
Tony’s early career saw him working as a product designer with Pankhurst Design and Development, Fulham London. Co designing a range of Theatre Lanterns for TBA Lighting. Tony moved back to the North East and became the Regional Graphic and Exhibition Designer with ‘Keep Britain Tidy NE’. His work here has included exhibition design, promotional and graphic design. Tony progressed to develop their ‘Theatre in Education’ productions for the promotion of ‘Tidy Britain’, which toured schools in the North East. This allowed Tony to progress to his primary focus as a Freelance Theatre Designer/Maker. Freelance work includes Theatre Design for countless stage productions including operas such as Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Louisa Miller, Don Giovanni and Foust. Tony designed and produced the staging for the world premiere of Bernard J Taylors, ‘Nosfaratu The Vampire’ at the Winter Garden Theatre, Eastbourne. Working with Leeds Youth Opera, he designed the British premier of the Donizetti opera ‘Gianni Di Calais’ and also worked on the Cleveland Youth Opera’s production of ‘The Italian Girl in Algiers’ with Glyndebourne Director Dyved Burne Jones. Tony's freelance Model Making includes interactives for the Theakston’s Brewery Visitors Centre and re production Blade Runner Props for the Ridley Scott exhibition in 2016 at ‘The Word’ South Shields, He has produced photographic and TV models for advertising and action props for BBC TVs ‘Tracy Beaker’ and ‘Byker Grove’. Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE, MA, SBTD, FHEA
Tony’s early career saw him working as a product designer with Pankhurst Design and Development, Fulham London. Co designing a range of Theatre Lanterns for TBA Lighting. Tony moved back to the North East and became the Regional Graphic and Exhibition Designer with ‘Keep Britain Tidy NE’. His work here has included exhibition design, promotional and graphic design. Tony progressed to develop their ‘Theatre in Education’ productions for the promotion of ‘Tidy Britain’, which toured schools in the North East. This allowed Tony to progress to his primary focus as a Freelance Theatre Designer/Maker. Freelance work includes Theatre Design for countless stage productions including operas such as Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Louisa Miller, Don Giovanni and Foust. Tony designed and produced the staging for the world premiere of Bernard J Taylors, ‘Nosfaratu The Vampire’ at the Winter Garden Theatre, Eastbourne. Working with Leeds Youth Opera, he designed the British premier of the Donizetti opera ‘Gianni Di Calais’ and also worked on the Cleveland Youth Opera’s production of ‘The Italian Girl in Algiers’ with Glyndebourne Director Dyved Burne Jones. Tony's freelance Model Making includes interactives for the Theakston’s Brewery Visitors Centre and re production Blade Runner Props for the Ridley Scott exhibition in 2016 at ‘The Word’ South Shields, He has produced photographic and TV models for advertising and action props for BBC TVs ‘Tracy Beaker’ and ‘Byker Grove’. Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE, MA, SBTD, FHEA
LEE WARD
Lecturer
Our BA (Hons) Production Design for Stage & Screen degree welcomes alumni and set designer Lee Ward to it’s lecturing staff. Originally from Middlesbrough Lee trained at our school as a mature student; “Growing up and into adulthood I’d been self-producing a wide range of creative projects so I became a jack of all trades. Everything from video making to event producing. I found that TNSA’s Production Design degree rolled most of my creative outlets into one place so I enrolled as a mature student to turn what I was doing into a more established career.” During studying for his degree Lee developed his business Hollow Productions offering set design and building, prop making and sourcing, event dressing and various other creative direction services. “My practice involves a lot of scenic construction and painting, research and concept development, design and project management.” Lee has worked on some fantastic productions such as The Island (2023), Riever (2022), A Dolls House (Elysium Theatre), Dracula (Darlington Hippodrome), Haddock and Chips (CaroleW Productions), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Less is MORE productions) and many more.
Our BA (Hons) Production Design for Stage & Screen degree welcomes alumni and set designer Lee Ward to it’s lecturing staff. Originally from Middlesbrough Lee trained at our school as a mature student; “Growing up and into adulthood I’d been self-producing a wide range of creative projects so I became a jack of all trades. Everything from video making to event producing. I found that TNSA’s Production Design degree rolled most of my creative outlets into one place so I enrolled as a mature student to turn what I was doing into a more established career.” During studying for his degree Lee developed his business Hollow Productions offering set design and building, prop making and sourcing, event dressing and various other creative direction services. “My practice involves a lot of scenic construction and painting, research and concept development, design and project management.” Lee has worked on some fantastic productions such as The Island (2023), Riever (2022), A Dolls House (Elysium Theatre), Dracula (Darlington Hippodrome), Haddock and Chips (CaroleW Productions), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Less is MORE productions) and many more.
JOHN NOBLE
Lecturer
John has been involved in the world of film making since the late 1980s, starting with special effects for home video camera horror films, progressing to Hollywood blockbusters by the early 2000s, and experiencing everything in between, including stints in television, independent short films, theatre and animation. John has experience in front of the camera, performing and puppeteering, but specialises in building the worlds that appear onscreen, be it a prop, a model or a visual effect. With a career spanning over twenty years, John has made many contacts in the world of film, and is often called upon at very short notice to dress a set or create a prop or produce an obscure amputated body part or two.
John has worked in the east midlands as a freelance architectural, exhibition and prototype model maker, travelled to China when he was a new product development manager for a novelty gift brand company and spent nearly a decade as a member of The Northern School of Art BA (hons) Production Design for Stage and Screen team, before becoming a full-time lecturer on the BA (hons) Visual Effects and Model Making degree programme in 2018. Constantly expanding his skillsets and working alongside students to explore innovative solutions to ever-more intricate problems, John is always happy to share his knowledge and enjoys learning even more through the student experiences and successes.
Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE, FHEA
MARK ROBINSON
Creative Technician
Mark facilitates all of the large scale builds across the stage and screen courses, he also supervises the 3D workshop. Mark demonstrates a variety of construction, finishing techniques, tooling processes and machine inductions, enabling students to make their design work a reality, no matter how intricate or ambitious the initial idea is.
With a ‘can do attitude’ and a healthy dose of fun Mark regularly liaises with external event agencies and contractors to complete live student projects, briefs and install shows.
Qualifications: BA (Hons), MA, PGCE
CAREER PATHS
This degree is for you if you wish to have a career in:
PRODUCTION DESIGNER FOR THEATRE, FILM & TV
EVENT DESIGN
STOP FRAME & DIGITAL ANIMATION STUDIOS
THE GAMES INDUSTRY
MODEL MAKING
SCULPTING & MOULD MAKING
CONCEPT ARTIST
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