BA (Hons) Theatre Design

Bachelor's degree

In London

£ 9,250 VAT inc.

Description

  • Type

    Bachelor's degree

  • Location

    London

  • Duration

    3 Years

The BA Theatre Design course at Wimbledon College of Arts covers both set and costume design.We prepare our students to enter the world of contemporary theatre and performance design with the skills, knowledge and sensibilities that professional designers require. The rich mix of practice and theory that each student will encounter on the course ensures that experimentation and critical thinking are equally valued. This enables our students to produce inventive and imaginative design work underpinned by strong practical skills.Open DaysBook your placeGallerySee more student workStudent video workDivided event - BA Theatre Design students worked with choreographers from The Place’s youth dance company, Shift.BA Theatre Design News1 of 6Costume and Theatre Design students win free studio for a year with Wandle Studio Prize 20172 of 6The Green Room: Cecilija Berg, BA Theatre Design student3 of 6Wimbledon alumni make up half of Turner Prize 2017 nominations4 of 6New partnership with National Theatre opens archive of iconic theatre designer Jocelyn Herbert to first ever Post-Doctoral Research FellowView all

Facilities

Location

Start date

London
See map
Merton Hall Road

Start date

On request

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Subjects

  • Staff
  • Costume Design
  • Theatre
  • Design
  • Drawing
  • Computer Aided Design
  • Writing
  • Team Training
  • Critical Thinking
  • Contemporary Theatre
  • Directing
  • Dance
  • Construction Training
  • Production

Course programme

Course detail What is a theatre designer?

A theatre designer is responsible for designing the space in which the performance takes place and the costumes that the performers wear. This includes the set, props and costumes, but can also encompass sound, lighting and other digital aspects.

What skills does a theatre designer need?

As well as having a range of practical skills designers must be confident communicators and collaborators. They must be resourceful, imaginative, self-assured and good problem solvers.

Content: what students can expect
  • To focus on different aspects of theatre and performance design practice - interpretation of text, perception of character, dramatic space, the designer’s role within the creative team as well as working on live shows with performers
  • Teaching from a core team of permanent staff, who are all practicing theatre and performance designers, as well as tuition from a wide range of freelance theatre-makers
  • To be guided through a broad range of skills and technical areas, including; computer-aided design, costume construction, costume drawing, fabric dyeing, lighting, metal and wood workshop, recorded digital arts for live performance, scaled precision model-making, sound, story boarding for live performance and technical drafting
  • An on-going contextual studies programme that builds our students’ knowledge and helps develop their critical understanding of the changing culture of theatre, film and the visual arts
  • Collaborative projects with both drama and dance programmes in other universities and institutions, including The Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London Contemporary Dance School, MA Directing at Birkbeck and BA Contemporary Theatre Practice at East 15 Acting School
  • To build a strong network of theatre-makers through collaborative projects
  • To explore the relationship between drawing and performance
  • The chance to get involved in Wimbledon’s annual Acts Re-Acts Festival, which combines performance and fine art
  • To engage with a rich mix of ideas, events, discussions and performances through exposure to Wimbledon’s complementary fine art programme
  • To have access to Wimbledon's shared workshops. View the Wimbledon facilities section

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BA Theatre Design programme specification (PDF - 259 KB)‌‌

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StructureYear 1

  • Unit 1: Introduction to study in theatre and screen
  • Unit 2: Designing and making - the principles of practice
  • Unit 3: Designing and making - extending the skill set
  • Unit 4: Looking at ideas - debates in the discipline
  • Unit 5: Who are you? Establishing a specialism
Year 2
  • Unit 6: Collaboration and its’ connections
  • Unit 7: Practice as a laboratory
  • Unit 8: You think what? How to research and review work
  • Unit 9: Where in the world? My specialism in context
  • Unit 10: Where in the world? Extending skills
Year 3
  • Unit 11: Finding your voice - portfolio design, crafting research skills and career planning
  • Unit 12: Show your work - independent practice
Work experience and opportunities

Students gain production experience on the course with our professional practitioners, as well as through specialist work placements with companies or individuals.

Our students also have the chance to collaborate with established and emerging choreographers and directors designing sets and costume for a wide variety of realised performances including, dance, plays, opera, site-specific theatre and new writing projects.

Students can also study abroad in their second year as part of the college’s Erasmus scheme.

Course datesAutumn Term:

Monday 24 September - Friday 7 December 2018

Spring Term:

Monday 7 January - Friday 15 March 2019

Summer Term:

Monday 15 April - Friday 21 June 2019

Learning and teaching methods

  • Assessments
  • Briefings
  • Collaboration
  • Exhibition preparation
  • Feedback - written and oral
  • Film screenings
  • Group and individual tutorials
  • Group work and crits
  • Guided readings
  • Independent study
  • Lectures
  • Online learning
  • Orientations and inductions
  • Peer review
  • Practical work
  • Presentations
  • Project work
  • Research - individual and group
  • Seminars
  • Study partners and groups
  • Visits and trips
  • Work placements
  • Workshops

Assessment methods

  • Essays
  • Induction sheets
  • Presentations
  • Project logbooks and work
  • Reflective journals
  • Research portfolios and tasks
  • Self-evaluation
  • Written assignments

Facilities

  • Jim Stephenson.

    Theatre

    View images of and find out more about our theatre

  • 3D Workshops

    View images of and find out more about our 3D workshops

  • Kristy Noble.

    Digital Media Centre

    Find out more about our digital media centre

Staff

  • Lucy Algar - Course Leader
  • Matt Deely - Lecturer, Designer, Auto CAD and model making specialist
  • Peter Farley - Designer

  • Geraldine Pilgrim - Site-specific theatre maker
  • Dick Straker - Site-specific theatre maker
  • Michael Vale - MA Theatre Design Course Leader

Visiting Staff

  • Dan Bird - Director
  • Jane Collins - Professor of Theatre and Performance
  • Mauricio Elorriaga - Designer, technical drawing tutor and model maker
  • Pamela Howard - Designer
  • Rob Howell - Designer
  • Sophie Jump - Designer

  • Glen Neath - Director and writer
  • James Perkins - Designer
  • Uri Roodner - Theatre Director
  • Vivian Sendall - Scene painter
  • Sjef Tilly - Designer

BA (Hons) Theatre Design

£ 9,250 VAT inc.