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MA Design for Performance (Taught)
- MA
- 2 Years
- Full-time
- 21/09/2026
- Postgraduate
- Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Course scheme
- UCAS Conservatoires
- Awarded by:
- University of South Wales (Prifysgol De Cymru)
Course summary
Enhance your expertise with our course that offers specialist tuition and opportunities to design performance environments, installations, characters and sets for a series of live public performances and immersive experiences.
Bring your creative designs to life with our course that explores traditional design approaches for characters and sets across theatre, events, installation, exhibition, film and TV. You’ll delve into digital and physical modelling, character drawing and storyboard creation, guided by expert tutors operating at the top of their field.
In our safe and immersive learning environment, you will have the opportunity to gain all the practical and creative skills you’ll need to kickstart your career in the industry. The course ends with a public exhibition of your cohort’s work in Cardiff and then for four days on London’s South Bank, which includes an industry night for an invited audience of potential employers.
Our Design for Performance graduates have consistently been successful Linbury Prize finalists and have gone on to roles as early career designers in leading companies across the UK.
Course details
Principal study options
During the application and audition process, you must select which instrument(s) you wish to specialise in for the duration of your course. On this course, you can choose from the following options:
Main specialism
Only one specialism is studied. It may be possible to study a further instrument, but this will not contribute towards the qualification.
Instrument/specialisms
For all courses, you must select at least one specialism from the 'primary' list. For those studying primary/secondary pathways, two instruments may be selected – one from the 'primary' list and one from the 'secondary' list. Joint pathway students may select any two instruments from either list.
Primary instrument/specialism
- Performance Design (Set & Costume)
- Set Design
How to apply
If you are an international applicant, or you are applying for a postgraduate course, or are choosing certain assessment locations, the 'on time' deadline may be later in the year - please contact the conservatoire directly.
Apply by
14 January
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- 712F
- Institution code:
- R59
- Campus name:
- Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Campus Code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
International applicants whose first language is not English will need to gain an English language qualification. For more information, please see our website: https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/englishlanguage
Entry requirements
Entry requirements usually include a degree or equivalent qualification in an art and design related subject. Selection is made on the basis of an interview and portfolio presentation. The College may consider applications from people without formal qualifications if they have an exceptional level of practical ability and suitable portfolio content.
Additional entry requirements
- Interview
- Portfolio
- All applicants are required to submit a portfolio via Acceptd. You should expect to be ready to do this at the point of submitting your UCAS application (https://app.getacceptd.com/rwcmd).
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | £18200 | Whole course |
| EU | £36400 | Whole course |
| England | £18200 | Whole course |
| Northern Ireland | £18200 | Whole course |
| Scotland | £18200 | Whole course |
| Wales | £18200 | Whole course |
| International | £36400 | Whole course |
| Channel Islands | £18200 | Whole course |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Castle Grounds
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3ER
Visit our website Visit our course page
Course contact details
Admissions Team
Email:admissions@rwcmd.ac.uk
Phone:029 2039 1361
Related courses
At Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
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