Explore our theatre facilities with Guildhall students
Working with professionals at Guildhall provides you with well-respected industry contacts – I’ve been a Costume Daily on Downton Abbey
Shannon Martin
BA Technical Theatre Arts (Stage & Costume Management pathway)
Guildhall has provided so many opportunities that I didn't expect when I applied. The mentor programme has also been hugely valuable to me.
Andrew McDonald
BA Technical Theatre Arts (Theatre Technology)
I chose to come to Guildhall because I wanted to become a set designer. Guildhall helped me understand who I want to be and how to get there.
Alena Tryapitsyna
BA Technical Theatre Arts (Design Realisation)
The School is the right mix of everything – supportive staff, positive work environment, world-class facilities and bespoke opportunities.
Saatvika Kantamneni
MA Collaborative Theatre Production and Design
We run like a company with each student taking on a professional role. I feel this really prepares us for the outside world
Laurie Lumley
BA Video Design for Live Performance
The projects we work on are real - we are in effect constantly getting work experience
Laurie Lumley
BA Video Design for Live Performance
The facilities available to students to create are almost unimaginable
Carreen Walton
MA Collaborative Theatre Production and Design
It's the scale of productions that really makes Guildhall stand out. It gets to the point where you think, wow, this is massive. In other places, you just wouldn't have that opportunity to learn on the job.
Sian Clare
BA Technical Theatre Arts (Costume)
I had the opportunity to work with the BA Video Design for Live Performance course on an installation project in the chambers below Tower Bridge. It was a completely unique experience.
Liam Strong
BA Technical Theatre Arts (Theatre Technology)
“It is the Costume Supervisor who, with skill, expert knowledge and technical understanding, will realise the vision of the Designer from first costume sketches to the finished product on stage.” - Dick Bird, Costume and Set Designer
Costume students at Guildhall School gain an overall understanding of all aspects of the costume industry. This unique pathway will enable you to follow the costume process from design to realisation on stage.
As a Costume student, you will:
Explore a broad range of relevant skills including costume design, construction, alterations, dyeing, ageing and distressing; fabric sampling, millinery, hair and make-up, styling; costume fittings, dressing, and running wardrobe; costume sourcing, hiring and buying; costing, budgeting and administration
Work alongside professional costume designers and supervisors, and learn costume craft on fully staged drama and opera productions
Have the opportunity to enhance areas of costume practice on placements, making projects and realised productions
Research the history and culture of fashion
Discover technical areas of film and television costume
Studying on this programme you will learn a broad range of skills including:
Pattern cutting & making
Dyeing and breaking down techniques
Fabric sampling
Bone bodice making
Millinery
Alteration and embellishment skills
Hair and make up for performance
History of costume & research
Styling for TV
Costume sourcing, hiring and buying
Wardrobe maintenance
The effect of lighting on costume
Costume fittings
Costume design
Budget management
Costume students work on Guildhall drama, opera and musical productions as Costume Supervisors, Costume Assistants and Dressers, and work alongside professional designers and directors. Students are also taken on field trips (Bath Museum of Costume) and backstage theatre tours (e.g. Phantom of the Opera and English National Opera). Guildhall has an excellent relationship with professional hire houses, such as Angels Costumiers and the National Theatre.
What you will study
Year One
Skills classes mentioned above are realised through practical based teaching classes, project work and production work. You will work as dressers on two Guildhall productions during your first year.
Along with all other students in the programme, the Costume students take classes in a broad range of core subjects. These include: Theatre History, Period Style, Contemporary Theatre, Health & Safety and Stagecraft & Production Process. Classes are usually project based and wherever possible have a hands-on, practical approach. For example, when studying trends in contemporary theatre we’ll take you to see some shows, and when we’re looking at period styles we’ll take you to galleries and museums to look at examples.
Associated Studies
In the first year you will also take a core module called Associated Studies, which allows you to take three short courses in other areas of technical theatre such as Stage Management, Prop Making, Lighting, Sound, Video, or Scenic Art.
Year Two
The study on the second year of your costume course is entirely practical. You will undertake the role of Costume Assistant and may have the opportunity to work with the Wig & Make-Up Mistress on some productions.
You will also have the opportunity to spend time working in two of the areas you studied in Year One Associated Studies.
Year Three
Third-year students will take on the Head of Department role of Costume Supervisor. You will lead teams of first and second year students and take responsibility for productions from the initial planning stage through to the final performance. Students also have the responsibility of working with large costume budgets.
You will also undertake a four/six-week professional work placement within the theatre, film or TV industry.
You will complete a Graduation Project which is an independent project of your choice and could embrace Costume Making or the opportunity to Costume Design a small scale production at Guildhall.
Final-year Costume student Andras Jacobs talks about the challenges of being Costume Supervisor on two drama productions at the same time in this behind the scenes video of our production of Gut by Frances Poet.
Recent Work Placements
Recent work placements undertaken by Costume students include:
National Theatre costume buying department
English National Opera dyeing and breaking down department
Costume departments at Chichester Festival Theatre, Donmar Warehouse and the Young Vic
Costume department for The Crown and Sloane Square Films
“Angels is always delighted to offer Guildhall Costume Course students the opportunity to hire stock for their third year productions. Not only does it give them invaluable first-hand experience of working with a costume house, to a budget and to deadlines, but it also gives us an opportunity to meet our future customers.
“I have always found Guildhall Costume students not only enthusiastic in their approach to work but to have the highest standards and be highly professional in the way they approach each production.”
- Richard Green, Production Director, Angels The Costumiers
What our students say:
“Guildhall offers extremely practical based teaching and every production is treated as if it was a professional show. It's a very supportive environment where you're allowed to make mistakes. I have also been given countless opportunities through this course already; seeing a huge variety of shows, going on backstage tours and getting work experience across London.”
- Megan Rider, Costume graduate 2019
“Guildhall was an invaluable experience that pushed me to be the absolute best I could be. Through hard work and perseverance the training prepared me to go into the industry with self confidence and belief in my own abilities. It has given me the tools, support and knowledge to work in places I never thought I could. I will always be grateful for the opportunity. It was a brilliant experience that I’ll never forget.”
- Izzy Ribbeck, Costume graduate 2019, Costume Assistant on Rip It off, West End
