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Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Costume for Performance

Model in extreme puff sleeves and corset.
Caitlin Shaw | BA (Hons) Costume for Performance | London College of Fashion | University of Arts London
College
London College of Fashion
UCAS code
W451
Start date
September 2023
Course length
3 years

BA (Hons) Costume for Performance offers a holistic approach to the study of costume. This course is for students who are interested in designing and making. This comprises physical and digital ways of designing and creating for live theatre, dance, film, and television, as well as more specialised performances.

We nurture every student’s distinctive voice, teaching them how to embrace challenge and how to lead their professional field with cutting-edge approaches across all channels: live, broadcast, digital, interactive, experiential and experimental. Through specialist research and collaborative work, we empower our students to think differently by combining traditional and digital techniques in design and costume-making that result in creative and sustainable practices that improve the way we work and live.

Applications closed 2023/24 

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course.

Visit the Courses with places available page for a full list of UAL courses that are open for application.

Why choose this course at London College of Fashion

  • Students learn from professionals actively working in Film, TV and live performance.
  • The course gives you the advantage to collaborate with students from related disciplines like 3D effects and Hair
    and Makeup.
  • Students have the opportunity to work on industry-related projects within the course.
  • Learning occurs in a collaborative and safe environment.
  • The course prepares students to integrate intellectual demands within the specialized design and the
    craft skills required for  the creation of original costumes.

Open Days

The next open day for this course is taking place on Tuesday 4 July. Book your place.

Course overview

Introduction 

BA (Hons) Costume for Performance prepares students for a career working with costume and fashion in the performance industry, by learning a specialist subject. 

The course benefits from workshops and masterclasses delivered by industry practitioners and work placement opportunities. 

Students create costume for a wide range of performance genres, such as dance, film and television, theatre, circus, opera and performance art. 

What to expect 

  • The course integrates the intellectual demands of interpreting a text, or other written element, with the specialised skills required for the creation of original costumes. 

  • The cultural and historical context of the subject is explored, enhancing practical work. Working in performance is always a collaborative venture, where the success of the production depends upon the joint efforts of many creative specialists who work together with the director and performers. 

Work experience and opportunities 

Students on this course have the advantage of being able to work with students from the related disciplines of 3D effects and hair, make-up and prosthetics. Students have the opportunity to do a short work placement in the industry, and there are several industry-facing projects within the course. All the subject tutors teaching on the course are practitioners with extensive experience of the industry. 

Mode of study 

BA (Hons) Costume for Performance runs for 90 weeks in full time mode. It is divided into 3 stages over 3 academic years. Each stage lasts 30 weeks. 

Contact us

Register your interest to receive information and updates about studying at UAL.

Contact us to make an enquiry.

Course units

Year one 

Introduction to Design for Performance  aims to introduce you to your course and its subject specialism as well as to effective learning and studentship at undergraduate level. It will orientate you to the practices and knowledge-base needed to understand your discipline and help you to develop your skills for independent & collaborative learning, reflection and your own self development. Students come from many diverse educational backgrounds and a part of this unit will enable to reflect on your own background and how that shapes the way you approach your course. 

This Unit has three core purposes: 

  • to introduce you to your discipline in the context of study at a Higher Education level 

  • to introduce you to learning skills and the requirements of effective studentship at undergraduate level 

  • to orientate you within your course, the College and the University 

Emphasis is placed on the skills needed to locate, navigate and communicate information and ideas effectively and appropriately. You will be introduced to resources that support your studies. We will also discuss studentship, the importance of being an engaged and participatory member of the group and your own personal and professional development. 

The  Introduction to Costume for Performance unit will introduce you to some of the fundamental principles and techniques used by costume practitioners. You will be required to research and record processes and the exploration of techniques and approaches in a visually appropriate and informative way.   

The unit encourages your development in technical areas underpinned by an understanding of the principles of specialist subject processes as well as exploring creative three-dimensional approaches to modifying, altering or adapting the performing body.  

You will develop an understanding of how basic techniques can be used creatively and will be encouraged to develop an enquiring approach to the development of costume for performance.

Fashion Cultures and Histories: introduces the Cultural and Historical Studies approach to fashion and related areas. The unit provides a broad overview of the subject and introduces key concepts and ways of thinking that will form the basis of subsequent study. It will also inform decisions regarding the Cultural and Historical Studies unit that is chosen for future study. 

Better Lives: London College of Fashion, UAL (LCF) is a leader in fashion design, media and business education. We have been nurturing creative talent for over a century, offering courses in all things fashion. We encourage students to examine the past and challenge the present. To have inventive, assertive ideas that challenge social and political agendas. We give students the skills, opportunities – and above all, the freedom – to put those ideas into practice. By leading the way in fashion design, business, and the media, we influence culture, economics and our society. 

This unit will provide you with a solid understanding of LCF’ core values and how they connect to your practice. As part of this unit, you will explore diversity, social responsibility and sustainability, themes which you will then apply to a selected project. At this stage, the emphasis is on how you apply your thinking across these important themes to your practice. Your thinking is more important than a finished piece of work at this point. Fashion can change lives. Through teaching, specialist research, and collaborative work, this unit will get you thinking differently. We want you to use fashion to examine the past, build a sustainable future and improve the way we live. That’s why we call this unit ‘Better Lives’. 

Collaboration One: Design and Production  will enable you to integrate the research practices and principles of design, learned in the Introduction to Design for Performance Unit, into a series of collaborative and / or personal projects. It will also extend other areas of design.   

You will undertake research, design development and presentation principles within a collaborative project, working with students from across the Performance Programme.  Further project work will introduce you to the approaches, terminologies and processes of your specialist subject. 

You will be encouraged to take an innovative approach to the design of your work using both experimental and traditional methods within a contemporary performance context.  

Year two 

The Cultural and Historical Studies Unit Critical Issues in Fashion Research will broaden or deepen your learning of areas relating to your interests in your chosen field. You will have the opportunity to participate in lectures, seminars and workshops with students from other courses within your School, and will read relevant academic texts and complete a formal academic essay for assessment. 

Core Skill: Period and Contemporary Menswear Responding to a given text, this unit will develop your awareness of the relationship between research, design and technical processes within your specialist subject area. You will develop an understanding of how techniques can be used creatively and will be encouraged to develop an enquiring approach to technical development and experimentation within your work. 

Situating your Practice 

Situating your Practice: Industry Project 
This unit aims to develop your practitioner identity and consider your personal manifesto for performance, by completing a performance proposal for a performance event around a location, and stimulus of your choosing.  This unit brings together the technical skills that you have developed and asks you to now take them further in a performance context. It will allow you to expand your understanding of the work of practitioners who you find useful, inspiring, and interesting, before then applying that knowledge in the creation of your own performance event. 

Situating your Practice: Industry Placement 
This unit aims to develop your professional skills within an industry environment. On your placement, you will be able to experience the pace, atmosphere and discipline of working in the industry. This will give you practical experience of the roles, functions and operations within the industry. The unit requires a minimum of 60 work placement hours. 

LCF Graduate Futures provide career guidance and one to one opportunities starting in your first year at LCF, to help you plan ahead and prepare for your work experience. You will be expected to engage and be proactive in securing your own work experience and one that is suitable to your own personal development, skills, course requirements and career aspirations. This means producing an updated CV and directly applying to companies for work experience using LCF CAREERS LIVE, LCF’s own job board, as well as other resources. You will also be expected to feedback on your work experience after your work experience. 

During the Collaboration Two: Interdisciplinary and Experimental  unit you will collaborate with other students to design and realise characters for a narrative. Working in a small group you will choose a context for the performance. You are encouraged to look at a context you may not have designed for previously, such as film, television, dance, theatre, opera, music video, advertising or fashion film. You are encouraged to collaborate with performers and students from other disciplines 

Year three 

Innovation and Design requires you to identify an area of personal interest and to investigate, research and experiment to develop your conceptual design skills. You will demonstrate your skills in the creation of an extensive body of work to show development and experimentation. 

You should consider theoretical and professional contexts of your project, and the surrounding industries, to develop your chosen narrative and performance context.  You will develop an appropriate methodology, and have the opportunity to explore new ideas, processes, take risks and experiment with design and production values, working to an intended performance location and audience. 

The way that you structure your innovation and design work within this unit is up to you; for example, you may choose to focus on one line of enquiry or explore a range of research and design avenues and methods. 

Following on you will complete a major piece of written work for the Cultural and Historical Studies Dissertation  unit. The overall aim of the dissertation is to provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the critical and analytical perspectives developed within cultural and historical theory and your ability to apply those perspectives in a specific study. You will research a topic of your choice that has relevance to the discipline of cultural and historical studies. This may relate to your course discipline and should elaborate knowledge developed in prior cultural and historical studies units. You will undertake a substantial piece of structured primary and secondary research that critically engages with cultural issues relating to fashion, the body, performance, or the media and communications industries and which reflects on the critical debates and concerns addressed in your course. 

Personal Performance Project 
Building on your previous design portfolio created for the Innovation and Design unit, you will now realise your ideas. You will test your ability to respond innovatively to the challenges involved in your chosen performance context. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your specialist skills and specific interests through your individual body of work.  
 
This unit will enable you to realise a personal response to your concept. The structure and outcome of your project will be determined by you. You will identify and construct individually negotiated outcomes to communicate your performance concept towards your chosen audience. 

The  Modelling Your Future  unit will prepare you for a number of future employment or postgraduate opportunities. It will expand upon your ability to articulate your practitioner identity. You will reflect upon your professional and/or academic goals after having completed your Personal Performance Project to help you to position yourself creatively and to now construct your industry portfolio accordingly. This unit requires you to evaluate, restructure, and position your work effectively as you create a professional roadmap to your chosen future career. 

Learning and teaching methods

The following teaching and learning methods are employed to support the integrated achievement of the course outcomes:

  • Lectures.
  • Demonstrations.
  • Group-discussions
  • Practical workshops.
  • Seminars.
  • Critiques.
  • Design workshops. 
  • Peer assessment.
  • Briefings. 
  • Student-directed study. 
  • Video screenings
  • Presentations. 
  • Visiting speakers.
  •  Performance project. 

Graduate Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Graduate Showcase

Student and graduate work

  • 2016-Evgeniia-Galeeva.jpg
  • Amy-Thompson.jpg
  • Isabelle-Homer2.jpg
    Isabelle Homer, BA (Hons) Costume for Performance
  • Kathryn-Mae-Poon.jpg

Graduation work by Sally Jane Galvin

BA (Hons) Costume for Performance graduate work by Sally Jane Galvin titled, 'Neptune the Mystic'.

The Performance Programme

Course leaders and students discuss what goes on behind the scenes on three courses at LCF dedicated to the world of performing arts.

Graduation work by Rane Yuqing Jiang

BA (Hons) Costume for Performance graduate work by Rane Yuqing Jiang, titled 'Ghost in the Shell'.

Graduation work by Jess Iliff

BA (Hons) Costume for Performance graduate work by Jess Ilif titled, 'The Spanish Tragedy'.

Latest news from this course

LCF facilities

  • Library, John Princes Street
    Library, John Princes Street Photography by: Ideal Insight
    LCF library and archives

    Take a tour of LCF's world renowned fashion library, ideal for research and study.

  • Photo of the 3D effects studio at Lime Grove.
    3D effects studio, Lime Grove | London College of Fashion | University of Arts London
    Media and Communication facilities

    Explore our Media and Communication facilities at Lime Grove.

  • Canteen, Mare Street
    Canteen, Mare Street Photography by: Ideal Insight
    LCF's social spaces

    Explore our social spaces, for collaborative study and breaks, across our six sites in London.

  • LCF at Stratford Exterior Design
    LCF at Stratford Exterior Design
    LCF's move

    LCF is moving to a new single campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2023. Find more information about the College’s relocation.

Fees and funding

Home fee

£9,250 per year

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£25,970 per year

This fee is correct for 2023/24 entry and is subject to change for 2024/25 entry.

Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:

  • 112 UCAS tariff points from two or more A Levels (preferred subjects include Art, Design, English, Drama and Film Studies);
  • Distinction, Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4) would ‘normally’ expect Foundation plus at least one A-level, with a total of at least 112 tariff points;
  • Distinction, Merit, Merit at BTEC Extended Diploma preferred subjects Art & Design;
  • Merit at UAL Extended Diploma;
  • Access Diploma or 112 new UCAS tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma;
  • 112 new UCAS tariff points from a combination of the above qualifications or an equivalent full Level 3 qualification;
  • or equivalent EU or non-EU qualifications such as International Baccalaureate Diploma at 25 points minimum;
  • and three GCSE passes at grade A*-C or grade 9-4.

Entry to this course will also be determined by assessment of your portfolio.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English Language Requirements

IELTS level 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements .

 

Selection criteria

The course team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

  • A strong interest in design and the performing arts
  • The potential for creative problem solving
  • An approach suited to the demands of the course and the projected career pathways in the chosen field of studies, i.e. Costume.

Apply now

Applications closed 2023/24 

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course. Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in Autumn 2023.

This section includes all the information you need on how to apply, how your application is considered and what happens next.

You should apply though UCAS – Universities and Colleges Admissions Service – and you will need the following information:

University code:          U65

UCAS Code:                 W451

Deferring your place

This course accepts requests from offer holders to defer their place for one academic year. Deferral requests are granted on a first-come, first-served basis until all deferral places are filled, or a deadline has been reached, whichever is sooner. Read our Admissions Policy for details, including how to request a deferral and by when.

Transfers

If you are currently studying somewhere else on a course in an equivalent subject area and would like to transfer to this course, you can transfer to:

  • Year 2 - if you’ve completed 120 credits in Year 1.
  • Year 3 - if you’ve completely 240 credits in Years 1 and 2.

Apply via UCAS and choose Year 2 or 3 for your POE (Point of Entry)

Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and Year 1/Year 2 unit transcripts.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Application deadline

We recommend you apply by 18:00 PM (GMT) on  25 January 2023 for equal consideration. However this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.

You can only apply to the same course once per year. Any duplicate applications will be withdrawn. Applications for this course can only be accepted for this year of entry.

What happens next

All application forms, personal statements and references are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed in the Entry requirements and Selection Criteria sections.

If you have achieved or expect to achieve the standard entry requirements we will invite you to submit a portfolio via PebblePad, our online submission tool, which should include a number of images of your work. You can upload a maximum of 30 images which best shows your work – please note however that you do not have to provide this exact number. PebblePad refers to ‘images’ when you upload your work - think of each 'image' as a page in your physical portfolio.

For this course your portfolio should show evidence of: drawing skills; life drawing; research skills; process; 3D; photography; and vocational skills.

The portfolio is assessed by Academic Reviewers who will decide if they are able to make an offer based on the work you have demonstrated. It may be, however, that the tutor wishes to speak with you further about your work and so you will be invited to attend an online interview. At the interview the Academic Reviewer will discuss your portfolio that you submitted in PebblePad; it will be possible to show more of your work during the interview if the tutor feels it necessary for you to do so.

Please note that not all applicants will be invited to attend interview.

If you are made an offer, you will have the opportunity to engage with course teams at a number of planned engagement activities, where you will be able to ask any questions you may have and also speak to current students studying on the course.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

If you applied through UCAS the result of your application will be communicated to you via UCAS through UCAS Track. You will only receive further communication directly from the College if your application has been successful. This will be in the form of a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.

Applications closed 2023/24 

We are no longer accepting applications for 2023/24 entry to this course. Applications for 2024/25 entry will open in Autumn 2023.

This section includes all the information you need on how to apply, how your application is considered and what happens next.

There are 2 ways international students can apply to an undergraduate course:

You must apply through UCAS, where you will need the following information:

  • University code – U65
  • UCAS course code – W451

Read our immigration and visa information to find out if you need a visa to study at UAL.

You can only apply to the same course once per year. Any duplicate applications will be withdrawn. Applications for this course can only be accepted for this year of entry. Applications for deferred entry cannot be accepted. Read the UAL international application advice for further information on how to apply.

Deferring your place

This course accepts requests from offer holders to defer their place for one academic year. Deferral requests are granted on a first-come, first-served basis until all deferral places are filled, or a deadline has been reached, whichever is sooner. Read our Admissions Policy for details, including how to request a deferral and by when.

Transfers

If you are currently studying somewhere else on a course in an equivalent subject area and would like to transfer to this course, you can transfer to:

  • Year 2 - if you’ve completed 120 credits in Year 1.
  • Year 3 - if you’ve completely 240 credits in Years 1 and 2.

Apply via UCAS and choose Year 2 or 3 for your POE (Point of Entry)

Please check our Student Transfer Policy for more important information and be ready to provide us with your current course handbook and Year 1/Year 2 unit transcripts.

If you are an International applicant and studying outside the UK, please complete your Direct application and then contact us via your UAL Portal to ask to be considered for Year 2/Year 3.

Please be ready to provide an official document (translated into English) from your current university, explaining the learning outcomes of the units you have completed.

Application deadline

We recommend you apply by 18:00 PM (GMT) on  25 January 2023 for equal consideration. However this course will consider applications after that date, subject to places being available.

What happens next

Immigration History Check

Whether you are applying online via UCAS or through a UAL representative you will need to complete an Immigration History Check to identify whether you are eligible to study at UAL. Do be aware, if you do not complete the Immigration History Check we will not be able to proceed with your application.

Initial application check

All application forms, personal statements and references are read and considered by the course team against the selection criteria listed in the Entry requirements and Selection Criteria sections.

If you have achieved or expect to achieve the standard entry requirements we will invite you to submit a portfolio via PebblePad, our online submission tool, which should include a number of images of your work. You can upload a maximum of 30 images which best shows your work – please note however that you do not have to provide this exact number. PebblePad refers to ‘images’ when you upload your work - think of each 'image' as a page in your physical portfolio.

For this course your portfolio should show evidence of: drawing skills; life drawing; research skills; process; 3D; photography; and vocational skills.

The portfolio is assessed by Academic Reviewers who will decide if they are able to make an offer based on the work you have demonstrated. It may be, however, that the tutor wishes to speak with you further about your work and so you will be invited to attend an online interview. At the interview the Academic Reviewer will discuss your portfolio that you submitted in PebblePad; it will be possible to show more of your work during the interview if the tutor feels it necessary for you to do so.

Please note that not all applicants will be invited to attend interview.

If you are made an offer, you will have the opportunity to engage with course teams at a number of planned engagement activities, where you will be able to ask any questions you may have and also speak to current students studying on the course.

How we notify you of the outcome of your application

If you applied through UCAS the result of your application will be communicated to you via UCAS through UCAS Track. If you have applied directly or through an agent, we will notify you through the UAL portal. You will only receive further communication directly from the College if your application has been successful. This will be in the form of a full offer pack including details of accommodation, fees, and other important information.

After you apply

After you’ve submitted your application, you’ll receive a confirmation email providing you with your login details for the UAL Portal. We’ll use this Portal to contact you to request any additional information, including inviting you to upload documents or book an interview, so please check it regularly.

Once we’ve reviewed and assessed your application, we’ll contact you via UCAS Track or the UAL Portal to let you know whether your application has been successful.

Potential changes to course structure

Please note: the information outlined is an indicative structure of the course. Whilst we will aim to deliver the course as described on this page, there may be situations where it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, for example because of regulatory requirements or operational efficiencies, before or after enrolment. If this occurs, we will communicate all major changes to all applicants and students who have either applied or enrolled on the course. Please note that due to staff research agreements or availability, not all of the optional modules listed may be available every year. In addition, the provision of course options which depend upon the availability of specialist teaching, or on a placement at another institution, cannot be guaranteed. Please check this element of the course with the course team before making a decision to apply.

Webpage updates

We will update this webpage from time to time with new information as it becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please use the enquiry form above.

Careers

All of our undergraduate courses offer career development, so that you become a creative thinker, making effective contributions to your relevant sector of the fashion industry.

LCF offers students the opportunity to develop Personal and Professional Development (PPD) skills while studying through:

  • An on-course work experience or placement year. Please note, this is not available on every course; please see the Course Details section for information about work placement opportunities.
  • Access to to speaker programmes and events featuring alumni and industry.
  • Access to careers activities, such as CV clinics and one-to-one advice sessions.
  • Access to a graduate careers service
  • Access to a live jobsboard for all years.
  • Advice on setting up your own brand or company.

Graduates who wish to continue their education at postgraduate level can progress to suitable courses within the College, the University or elsewhere.

Career paths

Many graduates prefer to seek employment as soon as they have completed their undergraduate studies. Recent Costume graduates from this course have gone on to work as designers, makers and supervisors, both contracted and freelance, in film, television, theatre, music promotions, opera, dance and fashion. These jobs include designers at English National Opera and New York Met, womenswear maker at Glyndebourne, marketing at Jasper Conran, wardrobe on Holby City, Head of Wardrobe on Lion King, menswear maker at RSC, menswear cutter at ENO, designer on BBC Vision, and fashion stylist. Graduates have been selected as finalists for New Zealand’s World of Wearable Art Show 2014, and have secured traineeships at the BBC, Pinewood Studios, and with the renowned milliner, Philip Treacy.

Examples of graduate work include:

Film:

Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, Dumbo, Doctor Strange, Phantom Thread, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Suffragette, Mary Queen of Scots, Harry Potter.

Television:

The Crown, Downton Abbey, Gentleman Jack, Poldark, The Tudors.

Opera and Theatre:

National Theatre, English National Opera, Hampstead Theatre, Globe Theatre, Peacock Theatre, Glyndebourne, Royal Opera House.