Arts University Plymouth is an arts university for the 21st century, preparing students who are uniquely placed to provide creative solutions to the complex global challenges of a changing world. Formerly known as Plymouth College of Art, we were granted full university title in Spring 2022. We are now the city of Plymouth’s first and only specialist arts university, allowing us to offer our students a dynamic and unique learning experience.
In May 2022 we were awarded the Best Small or Specialist University at the 2022 WhatUni Student Choice Awards, coming top in a list of well-respected specialist UK universities, based on unbiased and honest reviews from students across the UK, in a category that highlights the quality of our provision as a specialist creative university.
BA (Hons) Costume Production offers a fresh approach to the study of design, realisation and construction for costume. Working from classic and contemporary texts, music and storytelling, students will become skilled at producing bespoke costumes for a range of performance genres, whether for stage, screen or live action events.
This is made possible through dedicated Workshop Labs that provide extensive resources, alongside support and guidance from expert technicians, where you can experiment with computer-aided design (CAD) right through to laser cutting, moulding, casting and digital fabric printing.
On this course you will work on live projects with professional designers and performers, providing essential experience of industry practices; this may take the form of heritage, stage and film work. Opportunities to enter national and international competitions enable you to place your skills in a wider social and cultural context. Collaboration is a continual theme throughout this course, and during your studies with us, you will work alongside other creatives from BA (Hons) Film Arts, BA (Hons) Commercial Photography, BA (Hons) Graphic Communication and BA (Hons) Animation & Games.
Your learning will be delivered by a dedicated team of creative professionals who have worked for theatre and TV companies that include Netflix and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and on West End productions. You will also gain insight into industry from visiting professionals such as Paul Farnsworth (Lend Me a Tenor), Cathy Tate (Into the Woods) and Susannah Buxton (Downton Abbey).
In TV and film, our students have contributed to the BBC’s Diamond Jubilee Parade, Netflix’s Bridgerton and the BBC’s EastEnders. They have also worked behind the scenes of smash hit touring productions of Strictly Come Dancing, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty and The Bank Robbery That Went Wrong.
Our course encompasses cultural, social and political contexts for costume, enabling students to create costumes for public exhibitions and commissions from heritage societies such as the National Trust and The Box, Plymouth.
Students from this course have been awarded work and internship opportunities at prestigious institutions, including Glyndebourne Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Scottish Opera. Our horizons are global, and opportunities for studying abroad at one of our international partner institutions are also available.
You’ll learn how to cut and make costumes to industry standard. You’ll develop design and illustration skills to communicate your ideas, and achieve a practical understanding of the rigour involved in making costumes for a range of performance types. You’ll also have the opportunity to work on incoming commissions.
You’ll work collaboratively alongside students in film and other creative productions, and have access to professional new workshop facilities, including digital printing, textile technology and 3D making.
Students have been finalists in various prestigious competitions such as the World of Wearable Art International Design Competition and The Costume Society’s Patterns of Fashion Award.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Arts University Plymouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
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Learn what it's like to study at Arts University Plymouth. From key stats to campus highlights, open days, and more - find everything you need to know here.
The following entry points are available for this course:
This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available.
Course optionsPlymouth is the largest city in the county of Devon, and the safest big city in south-west England, listed in the top ten safest cities in the UK. The city has excellent travel links via car, train and ferry, with direct train services to London Paddington and the rest of the country and easy access to three nearby airports (Bristol, Newquay and Exeter). Plymouth is the gateway to the South West of England and is approximately 3 hours from London by train. The best airport to fly into is London Heathrow, which has a direct rail line to Paddington station.
Our dedicated international team will be able to support you throughout your application and enrolment with us, giving you expert advice and guidance on everything you need, from accommodation to what to do once you arrive in the UK.
Your application will tell us about your qualifications and previous experience, but studying the arts is about more than can be captured on forms. We need to find out about your creative potential, your abilities and idiosyncrasies, so we will invite you to talk about your work with a member of our HE academic team. You can tell us about your aspirations, and why you want to study at the university. It is also a good moment to find out what we can offer you.
We encourage you to visit the university, so that you can see our facilities, meet our teaching and technical staff, and discuss any other queries you may have; however we appreciate this may not be possible, and are happy to talk to you via an online platform (such as Google Meet or similar).
We accept a range of international qualifications and will look at each application individually.
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | IELTS (Level B2):overall score of 6.0 with minimum scores Listening: 5.5, Speaking: 5.5, Reading: 5.5, Writing: 5.5 |
| Trinity ISE | Pass | Integrated Skills in English II (Level B2), minimum grades required: Reading: Pass Listening: Pass |
| PTE Academic | 50 | PTE Academic (Level B2), minimum grade required: Listening: 50, Reading: 50, Writing: 50, Speaking: 50 |
Click here to find out the most up-to-date information on our English Language requirements https://www.aup.ac.uk/international/language-requirements
We believe in making tailored offers that recognise that artists, designers and makers can have a wide range of relevant experience and skills beyond formal qualifications. We therefore require all applicants to submit a portfolio of work as a condition of any offer to study with us. This allows applicants the opportunity to demonstrate their creative skills, and what they’re passionate about. Following a successful portfolio review, offers will be tailored on an individual basis.
This section shows the range of grades students were previously accepted with - learn more. It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
Students aged 17/18 who applied to this course were offered a place.
See how students with your grades have been accepted onto this course in the past.
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The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| EU | £16500 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
| England | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
| International | £16500 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Tavistock Place
Plymouth
PL4 8AT
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Email:admissions@aup.ac.uk
Phone:01752 203434
Fax: 01752 203444
Email:enquiries@aup.ac.uk
Phone:01752 203434
Fax: 01752 203444
