BA (Hons) Costume Production
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.
Degree: BA (Hons) Costume Production
UCAS codes: 3-year degree PW34 / 4-year Integrated Foundation W451
UCAS points: 104–120
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.
Sophie Prings costume in action for 'The Actors Wheels' production of Faustus | Photo credit: Claire Tregaskis
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
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.
Costume Production students have access to a wide range of facilities.
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.
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.
The Actors Wheel production of Faustus. Photo credit: Claire Tregaskis
In the National Student Survey (NSS) 2026, 94% of responding students answered positively to the question “How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?” and 94% answered positively to “How often have you received assessment feedback on time?”
Students also responded positively at 88% to “How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?” and “To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?”
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.
Benefit from opportunities to design and produce costumes for real clients in outward-facing projects.
It offers a fresh approach to the study of design, realisation and construction for costume, producing bespoke costumes for stage, screen and live-action events.
You’ll work from classic and contemporary texts, music and storytelling.
You’ll work in dedicated Workshop Labs with extensive resources, supported by expert technicians.
You’ll explore skills including pattern cutting, tailoring, corsetry, costume props, and print and dying techniques.
Yes. You will work on live projects with professional designers and performers, gaining essential experience of industry practices through heritage, stage or film work.
Your learning is guided by a dedicated team of creative professionals with experience in theatre and TV companies including Netflix, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and West End productions.
Yes. You’ll gain insight from visiting professionals including Paul Farnsworth (Lend Me a Tenor), Lucinda Wright (The Witcher) and Michelle Carragher (Game of Thrones), and benefit from a close relationship with Theatre Royal Plymouth.
Students have contributed to Netflix’s Bridgerton series and the BBC’s EastEnders, and worked behind the scenes on touring productions including Strictly Come Dancing, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, Wicked and The Lion King.
Yes. The course encompasses cultural, social and political contexts for costume, including creating costumes for public exhibitions and commissions from heritage societies such as the National Trust and The Box, Plymouth.
100% of BA (Hons) Costume Production students responded positively to the 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?”.
Career opportunities include Prop Makers, Costume Interpreters, Designers, Costume Assistants (Film & TV), Stylists, Buyers, Costume Supervisors, Theatrical Milliners and Heritage Professional.
Our agreement with the Royal College of Art supports graduates from 13 Arts University Plymouth undergraduate courses who are considering relevant RCA postgraduate programmes.
The route provides application guidance, portfolio preparation and progression planning. Undergraduate degrees are taught and awarded by Arts University Plymouth, and admission to the RCA remains subject to its entry requirements.
Explore the eligible courses and RCA progression route, including scholarships for 2027/28 entry.
This degree is also available as a four-year Integrated Foundation option. Our Integrated Foundation provides you with a preparatory year that will support your creative development, through a broad understanding of art, design and media skills relevant to your chosen degree subject. Learning through experimentation, exploration and discovery will support you in progressing to the next level of your degree at Arts University Plymouth.
All students at Arts University Plymouth can access specialist support via our Student Support Team. Our trained advisers offer information and guidance on student finance and funding, disability support, counselling and more.
Click here to read more about the support we offer.
- Email: costume@aup.ac.uk
- Instagram: @aup_costume
After graduating from BA (Hons) Film & Screen Arts, you could continue your studies at Arts University Plymouth on one of the postgraduate courses listed below. Our graduates are entitled to a 15% discount on tuition fees for our MA programmes.
Through our partnership with the Royal College of Art, graduates of this course can also access application guidance and portfolio preparation for relevant RCA postgraduate programmes.
