This course focuses on the design and manufacture of props for theatre, TV, film, display and entertainment industries. Current students come from a wide range of creative and academic backgrounds, but all share a joint passion for design and making. The course explores a wide range of creative techniques such as wood and metal work, sculpting, moulding and casting, decorative finishes, model making and soft props/puppetry, to create a broad creative skill set that will support your development as a prop maker.
Key features
- Highly practical industry-focused course
- Personal studio spaces
- Machine tools, plaster room, laser cutting and 3D printing
- Opportunities to work on productions in our theatre
A 2-year programme, accredited by the University of the Arts London Awarding Body, designed to prepare you for progressing onto any art and design degree.
This two-year (6 terms) programme of study is the route for you and is essential if you want to study Art & Design or a related subject at degree level. On successful completion of the first year of study, you will be awarded a Diploma in Art & Design and at the end of the second year, if you successfully complete the course, you will be awarded the University of the Arts London Awarding Body Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art & Design.
Our exciting BA (Hons) Design for Theatre and Screen course will help you create dynamic environments, costumes and props for the stage, for film and for television.
In an industry where designers and makers are expected to be all-rounders who can work with a wide range of professionals, you’ll learn all the essential design, making and technical skills you’ll need in your career, and put those skills into practice as you take part in work placements and collaborative projects, such as working with TV Production students at Maidstone Television Studios.
You’ll also gain a deeper understanding of the discipline, learning about the history and theory of theatre and film arts, underpinned by art and design history.
You have the option to complete a Professional Practice Year as part of this course. This will give you the opportunity to develop your professional, academic and personal potential, equipping you to be confident and engaged in creative workplaces. Employers widely recognise these qualities, and a significant proportion of placement students are offered graduate-level jobs or go onto postgraduate study.
This course has been specifically developed to meet industry demand for performance designers who work across an expanding range of different settings and sectors, from theatre to virtual environments. It offers skills to equip graduates to work with a range of design methods. Starting with comprehensive training in core principles of design and production skills across a range of disciplines in your first year, moving on to specialise in your chosen discipline.
You can choose from Set and Costume Design (Theatre and Film), Lighting Design (All Live Events, and Performances), Visual Design for Public Spaces (Architecture and Interiors), Digital Content (Live Performance/Recorded Media, Projection Mapping, Film, Online), Virtual Technologies (Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Game Engines, Motion Capture Technology, Virtual Production). Emulating the professional design studio format, you will work in creative teams with access to an excellent range of resources, including lighting labs, studios, digital suites, dye room, scenic workshop and our purpose built Centre for Digital Production housing Motion Capture and XR (Extended Reality) stage facilities. You will learn in a range of ways (individual and group learning), increasingly developing your own style.
You will have the opportunity to learn and collaborate with students from other course throughout your studies producing fully realised performances and events, using experimentation, enquiry and creative research in your work, to prepare for a successful career. You will undertake work placements and learning on the job at one of our extensive network of industry partners.
Graduates from this course will become designers for theatre, film, television, events, interiors, architecture, theme parks, games, mixed reality entertainment, immersive performance.
MA Puppetry at Wimbledon College of Arts explores and develops the art forms needed for the creation of puppetry.
Working with other students you will design, devise, create and interrogate puppetry. Through research and experimental projects, you will build upon and push current practices.
As an applicant to this course, it is expected that you will have:
a good understanding of the complexities of puppetry as a practice
an awareness of the global reach of this performance tradition
knowledge of both live and recorded uses of puppetry within the entertainment industry.
MA Puppetry sits within a wider portfolio of making and designing courses. Aligned with Wimbledon's expansion into screen, visual effects (VFX) and other augmented reality design, this MA course supports any applied or interdisciplinary applications for the art of puppetry. It also engages with some established traditions of this genre of performance-making.
At Wimbledon, engaging with vocational expertise is central to the development of techniques. You will learn key skills to create work to industry standard.
By the end of the course, you will have developed a professional portfolio. This will communicate your capabilities. It will show flexible and proactive approaches to employment that the field requires. It will also aid progression into further artistic research.
Become industry-ready with this intensive course focusing on practical, professional experience with some of the biggest names in UK set construction.
Why study scenic construction at RWCMD?
- Extensive industry experience forms the foundation of this two-year programme, which is the only one of its kind in the country. You’ll have hands-on training in constructing theatrical sets, both for RWCMD productions and during a series of different placements with our professional partners in the theatre, TV and film industries.
- These partners are some of the biggest scenic construction organisations in the UK, such as Cardiff Theatrical Services , Bay Productions, 4Wood and Wild Creations.
- With only eight places available each year, our training offers you a substantial amount of personal attention from our experienced practictioners who are experts in their field, and you’ll be treated as a professional from day one.
- When you’re not on placement you’ll be based at our fully fitted workshops at Llanishen Studios, where you will be taught carpentry, metal fabrication, drawing software for computers, as well as programming our CNC machine to cut out complicated shapes in sheet material.
- You’ll get a real feel for what it’s like working alongside practitioners from other areas of production. For example, in our workshops you’ll train alongside Design for Performance and Stage Management students, collaborating with them to present innovative and inspiring projects at RWCMD and on your placement.
- Your practical work will be prominent on the stages of our theatre spaces for RWCMD’s drama, opera and musical theatre productions.
- You don’t need previous construction experience to get a place on the course: we’re looking for passionate, inventive, creative students who are open to being challenged and trying new things.
On successful completion of the Foundation Degree, you have the option to undertake an additional year of study specialising in scenic construction to be eligible for the BA (Hons) Design for Performance.
