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Carly Sponzo: Costume Design at Wimbledon College of Arts

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Girl arranges garments
Girl arranges garments

Written by
UAL StudyAbroad Published date
29 January 2020

Carly studies Costume Design at Connecticut College, United States. She took part in our integrated study abroad programme, studying BA Costume Design at Wimbledon College of Arts.

Carly studies Costume Design at Connecticut College, United States and studied for a term on our BA Costume Design at Wimbledon College of Arts. We caught up with Carly about the experience she gained during her time at UAL.

Studying at UAL this past semester was really a turning point in the way that I look at Costume Design. Not only did I learn so much by engaging with the material, but from every student around me I was inspired and introduced to new methods, tricks, and processes.

What course did you study on and why did you choose it?

I chose the BA Costume for Theatre and Screen program at UAL’s Wimbledon College of Arts. The main goal of my study away to to be able to immerse myself in Costume Design, an area of study that lacks resources at my home university.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

Studying at UAL this past semester was really a turning point in the way that I look at Costume Design. Not only did I learn so much by engaging with the material, but from every student around me I was inspired and introduced to new methods, tricks, and processes.

How did your experience benefit your studies and personal development?

Now that I’m back at my home university, I feel that I have gained the confidence to speak about my designs and more so to speak for the kind of independent studies, educationally work, etc, that I know will benefit me as I continue my study of design.

Carly Sponzo artwork of sketchbook page with a collage of Victorian Houses

Why London?

I knew that I had wanted to study in a city, but I wasn’t prepared for how amazing of a city London would be. Coming from a college in a small town, it was exhilarating to take public transportation everywhere, and to constantly be engaging with the theatre and culture scene.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about studying abroad at UAL?

Absolutely do it. I think that there is this myth about study abroad where it’s somehow more about the trip than the work. UAL was a lot of work in the best way possible. If I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have realized the work I would need to be doing at my home university in order to graduate and enter the field with confidence.

Tell us more about what you created while you were here?

I participated in two projects in my time at UAL. The first was a creative cut garment that I then produced a stop motion animation for which was projected onto the garment and mapped to fit it. The second was an exploration into opera design through the show “Norma”.
Page from sketchbook

What 3 words best describe your study abroad experience?

I’d say my study abroad experience was challenging, rewarding, and so much fun. It was difficult to adjust at first because I had to live in a new place and the classes at UAL are structured completely different from my school back home. I also dealt with feeling “behind” in class because I previously didn’t have as many resources or time to devote to the study of costume design back at my liberal arts college. However, as the course progressed, overcoming these obstacles and getting into a routine proved an immeasurable educational opportunity, as well as a profound personal lesson. Lastly, being in the city and getting to work with fellow costume students everyday was tons of fun and a huge part of why I loved the experience so much.
Photo of Carly Sponzo

Find out more about Carly and her work.

Wimbledon College of Arts has been named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top 10 costume design schools. Wimbledon is the only non-US college to appear in the list. See the full list.

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