Costume Production

Develop technical skills and specialist knowledge in costume design and construction, producing bespoke costumes for performance across stage, screen and live-action events. Learn in dedicated Workshop Labs, work on live projects, and gain insight from industry-active staff and visiting professionals.

BA (Hons) Costume Production offers a fresh approach to the study of design, realisation and construction for costume. Working from classic and contemporary texts, music and storytelling, you’ll become skilled at producing bespoke costumes for a range of performance genres, whether for stage, screen or live-action events.

Throughout the course, our dedicated Workshop Labs provide extensive resources and support from expert technicians, helping you explore skills including pattern cutting, tailoring, corsetry, costume props, and print and dyeing techniques.

At a glance

• Degree: BA (Hons) Costume Production

• UCAS codes: 3-year degree PW34 / 4-year extended degree W451

• UCAS points: 104–120

Course overview

Our BA (Hons) Costume Production course offers a fresh approach to the study of design, realisation and construction for costume. Working from classic and contemporary texts, music and storytelling, you’ll produce bespoke costumes for a range of performance genres, whether for stage, screen or live-action events.

Workshop Labs and technical skills

Throughout this course, our dedicated Workshop Labs will provide you with extensive resources, alongside support and guidance from expert technicians, allowing you to explore skills such as:

• Pattern cutting

• Tailoring

• Corsetry

• Costume props

• Print and dying techniques

Live projects and professional practice

You will work on live projects with professional designers and performers, providing essential experience of industry practices. This may take the form of heritage, stage or film work.

Who you’ll learn from

Your learning will be guided by a dedicated team of creative professionals who have worked for theatre and TV companies, including Netflix, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and West End productions.

You will also gain valuable insight from visiting professionals such as Paul Farnsworth (Lend Me a Tenor), Lucinda Wright (The Witcher) and Michelle Carragher (Game of Thrones), as well as a close relationship with Theatre Royal Plymouth.

Costume for screen, stage and heritage

In TV and film, our students have contributed to Netflix’s Bridgerton series and the BBC’s EastEnders. They have also worked behind the scenes of smash-hit touring productions of Strictly Come Dancing, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, Wicked and The Lion King.

This course encompasses cultural, social and political contexts for costume, enabling you to create costumes for public exhibitions and commissions from heritage societies, such as the National Trust and The Box, Plymouth.

Student satisfaction

100% of our BA (Hons) Costume Production students responded positively to the National Student Survey (NSS) 2025 questions “How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?” and “How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?”.

Why choose this course?

• Learn technical skills and acquire specialist knowledge of costume design and construction techniques used in the profession.

• Collaborate with other students across the university including Film & Screen Arts.

• Have opportunities to enter competitions, such as World of Wearable Art (New Zealand), and The Costume Society’s Patterns of Fashion Award.

• Gain a deep understanding of sustainable practices for both costume design and making.

Careers and future opportunities

Career opportunities include: Prop Makers, Costume Interpreters, Designers, Costume Assistants (Film & TV), Stylists, Buyers, Costume Supervisors, Theatrical Milliners and Heritage Professional.

Course Modules

Arts University Plymouth offers a year long sandwich year option. Framed within the institution’s innovative Common Unit Framework, the sandwich year experience is offered as a unit that contributes to your BA (Hons) Degree.
The sandwich year can take the form of an internship or work placement, and can take place in the UK or abroad. It is intended to give you the possibility of gaining experience in art and design practice in a ‘real life’ industry setting, before you return to complete the final year of your degree. You will be able to build your CV and, if you choose to take on your sandwich year outside of the UK, enhance your experience of international creative practice.
Sandwich year placements will be selected by each student who wishes to take one, assisted by Course staff within AUP. Opportunities may also come through corporate approaches to AUP or through links built by your course tutors. Each placement opportunity will be reviewed by the University before being approved to ensure its suitability to be part of your course. During the Sandwich Year you remain enrolled at AUP with access to IT and your email accounts, online library and learning support.
Once approved, the sandwich year will count towards your overall degree and completion of it will be acknowledged on your degree certificate.