Costume Design For Performance Short Course
Course description
Course overview
This course is an introduction to the creative process of costume design for live performance; using one example text from theatre, musical theatre or opera as a basis to work from. It explores the designer's vision, creative and practical skills, effective communication and how to develop a critical eye for performance.
During the course, learners will be guided through a speculative design project from beginning to end, using helpful exercises, live presentations, online and library research, 1-2-1 tutorials, and plenty of collective conversations.
The tutor will introduce a variety of design approaches and explain their unique way of working in more detail. By the end of this course, learners might have a design that could be used for their portfolio when applying for further training or even for design opportunities. This will depend on the time learners can dedicate to their project and can be discussed with the tutor.
Please note, while the process of creating costume designs will be discussed in detail, actual costume making or tools like draping are not part of this course.
There will be lots of hands-on exercises throughout the course, with an emphasis on the analogue process, like collage making and sketching on paper. There will be an introduction to digital tools and an encouragement to use them where the desire to learn more about them exists.
This course is available both on campus or online.
Who this course is for
This course welcomes learners from a wide range of disciplines, including those wanting to develop, diversify and extend their current creative experience towards set design for performance.
It is also suitable for those wishing to strengthen their portfolio for application to higher education studies in design for performance.
Key information
Topics covered
The order of individual aspects of the design process can be subject to change and can be adjusted depending on learners preferences.
Session 1
- The role of the costume designer
- The costume department
- Introduction to the text
- Introduction to analysing text
Session 2
- Analysing text & drawing out themes
- Online and library research
- Research tasks and reflection
Session 3
- Ideas exploration using collage and sketching
- Introduction to costume drawing using figurine
- Initial visual responses and developing concepts
Session 4
- Breaking down costume
- Sustainability
- Concept development and world building
Session 5
- Design presentations
- The costume professional career
- Studying on a costume degree
Learning outcomes
- Understand the skills and practical steps to create a costume design for live performance, e.g by conducting research, developing ideas, meetings, developing and testing designs, presenting and realising designs
- Understand the skills and practical steps required to create a costume design for theatre and film, e.g. conducting research, character development, script analysis, developing ideas and presenting them to the director, costume drawings, materials, stage craft basics
- Understand different roles available in the live performance industry and film industry
- Gain a better understanding on the creative process and explore and shape ideas
- Understand design principles such as colour, composition, shape
- Understand how to best build and present a portfolio piece to industry professionals to secure work
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
On campus or Online
All sessions require:
- iPad/Tablet or laptop
- Sketchbook (A5, A4, or A3) and/or paper
- Pencils
- Session 2 and onwards: in addition to the tools above learners should bring basic art materials of choice like colour pencils, crayons, markers etc.
- Session 3: scissors, Pritt stick glue, a variety of art materials of choice, magazine cut-outs, fabric samples, this can be discussed with the tutor in more detail; basic tools and art materials will be supplied by the tutor
- Session 4 and 5: art materials of choice
If you are taking this course online, please see our Guide to taking online short courses.
Tutor
Bettina John
Bettina John is an award-winning, international freelance set and costume designer. She studied fashion design and photography in Germany and later Image and Communication at Goldsmiths University in London. Her first design experience was in the field of contemporary dance and for several years she collaborated with dance artists from the vibrant London scene, such as Arthur Pita, Ben Duke, Tony Adigun and Avant-garde Dance. After having completed a master degree in Theatre Design at Wimbledon College in London, she started working predominantly in musical theatre and opera. Her production of Rape of Lucretia in 2018 as part of the Arcola's Grimeborn Festival in London won the team an Off-West-End Award for best opera production of the year. Since then she has worked on productions in Germany, South-Africa and Russia, as well as continued her work in the UK. Bettina John has been teaching set and costume design at Central Saint Martins since 2018. She was commissioned to write a book about costume design in 2019, which was published in 2022 and is now available from all major bookshops.
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