Anyone doing Costume Production/Making at uni? Advice please!

[hen10]

DD is applying for a degree Costume for stage and screen - production rather than design. She is angsting over portfolio - she is not doing textiles A level, but is doing Drama.

She has some photos from making the costumes for school productions. She is an avid cosplayer and has images at conventions from things she has made and theatrical make-up. She is currently doing an adult education course in making your own clothes for technical skills and will hopefully be helping make costumes for a local theatre company's winter show but I don't know how hands on this will be.

The images from the uni websites are all very professional and seem to want a level of expertise and experience that, at 18, it would be very hard to achieve. Although the academic ask seems pretty low, the practical experience seems high. So, is anyone on one of these courses and could point us in the right direction of what helped them with their portfolio? We don't know anyone on an even vaguely similar course.

Would she be better off trying to get a year in industry first?

Anyway, any advice very gratefully received! TIA

It might be worth contacting the universities she is interested in to find out their specific requirements.

My friend’s daughter is doing a similar degree. I know she did Art A’ level but not textiles, she did textiles at GCSE. I think her portfolio was based on her course work, which was amazing, and based on Greek mythology and dragons! Other people I have known, have done an art foundation course, before applying to university. These you often don’t have to pay fees for and can do at a local college, and she could use that for her portfolio?

Thank you, we are going to open days and have looked on websites but they are a bit vague when it comes to the portfolio - emphasis on creativity and new ideas etc etc but not ever so clear about what they actually want to see. Hopefully we will get more ideas when we visit - I am at a bit of a loss as her siblings tended towards scientific subjects like us and we knew loads of people to help and advise.

My DD did a portfolio for LCF which involved creative design for fashion, not costume, but there are similarities.

She did 3 A levels and these included Art and Photography. She was lucky in that her school included some textiles work in the A level. She made clothes and did some crochet work.

LCF had someone you could talk to about the portfolio. See if the universities you are interested in offer that service. If they do you can ask about her skill level but she needs to be making clothes I would suggest.

If she needs the Foundation year, do it, but only if it’s relevant. It might not be sufficiently focussed if at just any old college. See what the foundations are like at the relevant universities.

From memory, DD submitted photos of her clothes designs and the catwalk show at school where they were worn. Details of what worked and what didn’t. How she chose fabrics and what her influences were. Your DD could do all of this for costume design. Even if she discusses the local am dram production. Be prepared to talk about choices and decisions. Always include sketches of the designs and samples of fabrics. So mood boards. Reference influences and where your ideas originated.

LCF also suggested doing a blog to show your interests and influences.

Hope this helps a bit. Do check with the universities about skill level required though. What will they teach and what is required upon entry?