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UAL BA Costume design for theatre and screen experience?

Hello I am currently thinking of applying for this course alongside academic subjects as ual has allowed me to submit a second personal statement for this course and I just wanted to make sure it was worth trying to apply to as I haven’t been preparing a portfolio since this is a last minute decision!

Does anyone who has or is currently studying this course tell me if it is worth it? I really want to go into costume design for theatre but tbh experimenting and creativity is not my strong suit I’m better at academics but I’m hoping if I get accepted into ual I’ll be able to work on these?

Do you like the teachers, are they helpful? How are people in the course as I heard people were a bit pretentious especially at csm? What did you do for your portfolio and what parts did you think allowed you to get accepted? What did they ask in the interview process for you?

I’m just hoping I can get accepted as I don’t have much work experience in theatres/ making costumes for plays but I’m willing to try anyways.
Thank you !

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 1

UAL Rep Faye

Official Rep

Original post

by Neri_56

Hello I am currently thinking of applying for this course alongside academic subjects as ual has allowed me to submit a second personal statement for this course and I just wanted to make sure it was worth trying to apply to as I haven’t been preparing a portfolio since this is a last minute decision!
Does anyone who has or is currently studying this course tell me if it is worth it? I really want to go into costume design for theatre but tbh experimenting and creativity is not my strong suit I’m better at academics but I’m hoping if I get accepted into ual I’ll be able to work on these?
Do you like the teachers, are they helpful? How are people in the course as I heard people were a bit pretentious especially at csm? What did you do for your portfolio and what parts did you think allowed you to get accepted? What did they ask in the interview process for you?
I’m just hoping I can get accepted as I don’t have much work experience in theatres/ making costumes for plays but I’m willing to try anyways.
Thank you !

Hello! Even if you are a beginner, you should definitely still apply to the course! I am not from costume but having studied here at Wimbledon College of Art, I know that costume students have learnt a lot of new skills from the course.

You get plenty of support to develop your creative skills, even if you were more academic to begin with. The tutors on my course are kind and helpful, and the teaching covers everything from making corsets and lace to exploring design concepts.

There are actually two pathways: Costume Design and Costume Interpretation. You don’t have to be an expert maker, you can focus more on the design side if that suits you better! There’s also collaboration opportunities with other students and courses. A lot of people on the course are passionate and supportive rather than competitive or pretentious, and I’ve found the atmosphere at Wimbledon to be really open and welcoming.

The portfolio for the application doesn’t have to be perfect! My friends included their sketchbooks, some photos of small projects or experiments, even things like academic research or textile samples if they didn’t have finished costumes.

There are great opportunities for industry connections too: students do placement units (sometimes with the V&A or on projects like recent exhibitions at Polesden Lacey with the National Trust). If you want a sense of the work produced by students on the course, definitely check out the Wimbledon College of Arts Instagram where they showcase student projects, industry talks, and exhibition highlights:
https://www.instagram.com/wimbledonual?igsh=MWQybjM1NTJrNjNhMg==

Here are links you might found useful:
More about the V&A project:
https://www.vam.ac.uk/event/gVN3xmmRPdj/spectacle-of-the-surreal-may-2025

More about the exhibition at National Trust’s Polesden Lacey:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DJJej71t0v9/?igsh=bDB6aTI1Y2JxcTMz

The UAL website has a section dedicated to portfolio advice and application tips, which you may find helpful. You can view the portfolio guidance here: https://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/apply/portfolio-advice

Please get in touch if you have any more questions on the course, student life, etc. I wish you all the best in your application and preparation process!

-Faye (UAL student rep)