Costume for Theatre, TV & Film FdA

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is an associate school of the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), a Higher Education Provider registered with the Office for Students. On successful completion of this course, you will receive an award from UWE Bristol. Because of their vocational nature, BOVTS does not award degree classifications – all assessment is completed on a pass or fail basis.

This course is taught predominantly at the School’s site at Downside Road, Clifton. This site is equipped with several communal costume studios where you will have your own workspace. Audio and film work is taught at the School’s centre for recorded media at Christchurch Studios, and on-location across the city of Bristol. Read more about the sale of Christchurch Studios.  

The School stages theatre productions at venues across Bristol, and the productions you work on will be based in one or more of the city’s many performance spaces. Recent venues have included Bristol Old Vic, the Redgrave Theatre, the Wardrobe Theatre, Circomedia, Tobacco Factory Theatres and the Malcolm X Community Centre amongst others.

From time-to-time, rehearsals and teaching may take place in alternative spaces in close proximity to the School.

Your learning experience at BOVTS will revolve around practical project-based work and productions that take place throughout the academic year. Your training will largely centre on hands-on work for these productions, supplemented by seminars, practical and technical workshops, peer learning, collaborations with other creatives across courses, industry expert-led sessions, field and production visits, and participation in industry events.

The Costume course is practical and career focused. It is integrated with the School’s other courses during productions, as well as within the professional environment, as the majority of performances take place in local professional venues.

The course features a high level of one-to-one teaching by specialist professionals and work is realised for professional-standard performances. The learning is immersive and singular in its focus with high-level specialist professional employability as a main learning outcome.

There are typically 20 students over the three years of cohorts. You will also have collaborative classes with other BOVTS students, such as the MA Performance Design and BA Professional Acting cohorts. Work on productions involves working with staff and students from across the School.

The course is led by the Head of Costume. Teaching is additionally delivered by the Costume Tutor and two Costume Making Tutors, along with a range of visiting industry professionals who will teach specialist masterclasses and workshops, supporting you in developing your professional network. You can find further information about all our core teaching staff on our staff pages. 

The FdA degree in Costume for Theatre, Television and Film is an unclassified foundation degree. This means that on completion of your course, you will receive a foundation degree but without a classification (Pass, Merit etc). If you opt in for the third year of training, you will receive an unclassified bachelor’s degree. This means that on completion of your course, you will receive an honours degree but without a classification (first class, 2:1 etc).

Assessment at BOVTS is continuous throughout each year and all your modules will be marked on a pass or fail basis. All timetabled classes are compulsory and your tutors will monitor your progress closely, providing you with regular feedback to help you develop. This includes both verbally in class and in individual tutorials, as well as detailed written feedback at the end of each module or final year production. You will also receive feedback from visiting external professionals – for example directors on final year shows, or casting directors observing your practice auditions.

Nearly all of your assessment will be based on practical work in classes, rehearsals and performances. You will be assessed against relevant industry standards and your ability to bring together all aspects of your learning.

Each module is worth a specified number of credits. All modules are compulsory, enabling you to cover key subject knowledge while developing your own interests.

Year 1

• Assistant Costume Supervision in Performance (40 credits)
• Basic Millinery and Foundation Skills (40 credits)
• Pattern Cutting & Costume Construction (1) (40 credits)
• Interim Award: Cert HE Costume for Theatre, TV and Film

Year 2

• Costume Supervision (40 credits)
• Pattern Cutting and Costume Construction (2) (40 credits)
• Millinery and Specialist Skills (20 credits)
• Preparing for Employment and Work Placement (20 credits)

Applicants are normally expected to meet UWE Bristol’s minimum entry requirements. However, BOVTS welcomes interest from applicants who may not have the standard entry requirements.  We typically expect applicants to the FdA programme to have completed an Art and Design Foundation Course or an equivalent Level 3 qualification, such as A-levels. We will consider evidence of personal, professional and educational experience which shows an ability to meet the demands of the course. Please see “selection process” for further information, or contact our admissions team for further advice. 

To apply for the course, you will need to submit an application on our website. This will be followed by an interview with our costume tutors, where you will have a chance to show your portfolio, and any examples of previous sewing and costume work. We interview all applicants, and do not charge any interview fees.

Home students (UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man) £9,250 per year
International students (including EU) £22,050 per year

Fees are subject to further increase in subsequent years in line with government policy.

We regret that we are unable to consider applications from students requiring a visa to study in the UK during the 2024–25 academic year. For further information, please see the dropdown “Students requiring a visa to study in the UK.”

Accommodation and living costs are not included in your tuition fees.

Further information about financial support from the government, and bursaries and scholarships that you may be eligible to apply for is available from our fees and funding page.

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School has been approved for the US Federal Student Loan programme. Further details on options for funding and loans for US students in the UK can be found on the US student funding page.

There are some additional costs associated with this course that are not covered by your tuition fee. Costs given in brackets are to help with budgeting and are indicative only. These are likely to include:
• recommended books – before buying your own copy, you may wish to see if you can borrow through the School’s library or view through the Drama Online portal (available to current students) (up to £100)
• IT equipment – it is recommended that you have your own laptop or computer. Please see the School’s recommended IT specifications for further information (PDF, 52 Kb);
• stationery, photocopying and printing costs (£50). 

If you are facing financial hardship, then the School may be able to loan you equipment or help you meet these costs with a bursary. New students should contact admissions for further advice.

Due to a recent change in the Theatre School’s governance, our Higher Education provider UWE Bristol is unable to issue Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) documentation for BOVTS courses. Regrettably we are therefore unable to consider applications from students requiring a visa to study in the UK for 2025 entry.

The Theatre School is able to consider applications from international students who do not require a visa to study in the UK. If you are unsure of your tuition fee status, please consult the UK Council for International Student Affairs guidelines or contact our admissions office for further guidance. Prospective international students for future years of entry are encouraged to join our mailing list to learn more about training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

In the meantime, there are several ways that prospective international students can undertake training with BOVTS:

• We run a series of online masterclasses throughout the year, which are accessible wherever you are in the world. Find out more about what’s coming up on our short courses webpages.
  
• We offer intensive, in-person short courses for adults throughout the year in acting, creative and production disciplines. These currently range from day-long masterclasses to a ten-week acting foundation course. International students for these courses can normally visit the UK on a standard (holiday) visa, where required. Find out more about what’s coming up on our short courses webpage.
• We run acting international masterclasses in selected destinations throughout the year. Sign up to our prospective student mailing list or follow us on social media to be the first to know when new dates are set.