Master in Historical Costume
Bournemouth, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
* applications are open for 2021 entry. There is no set deadline for applications
Key Summary
About: MA Historical Costume at Arts University Bournemouth prepares practitioners to explore relationships between historical artifacts and contemporary costume. It accepts students from costume, fashion, textiles, theater and humanities to develop practice via lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical construction. You’ll research dress history, scenography and performance design, applying experimental and theoretical methods, using studios and equipment. Course duration is 1 year full-time (45 weeks) or 2 years part-time (90 weeks).
Career Outcomes: You’ll be ready for roles across performance, heritage and creative sectors. Typical pathways include costume designer, historical costumier/restorer, wardrobe supervisor, costume technician and roles in fashion, film and museum practice.
Historical Costume supports and develops advanced practitioners who have the ambition to explore, challenge and redefine the relationship between a historical artefact and the redesign and interpreted costume in a contemporary context.
MA Historical Costume
MA Historical Costume engages the student in the potential of performance design and garment construction to explore complex ideas; some of which could stray into other areas of artistic experimentation. Students may come to the course with a background in costume, fashion, textiles or theatre/performance design or may have studied subjects from across the humanities including arts and performance. This master’s programme supports and encourages the student to investigate individual practice within an interdisciplinary framework, whilst developing a critical theoretical context for their work. The very special and unique nature of course delivery, through shared lectures, seminars, critiques and tutorials encourages both a ‘freewheeling’ atmosphere as well as an intense immersion in creative practice.
Whether students are interested in looking at historical influences or current socio-political issues related to dress, students will challenge the context of their study in design or historical costume construction within the broader framework of contemporary practice.
Course Duration
- 1 year (full-time, 45 weeks)
- 2 years (part-time, 90 weeks)
Course Leader
Rebecca Pride – Course Leader
BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies, Higher Diploma in Fine Art (HDFA) Slade and PGCE
Prior to my academic career, I worked as a professional theatre designer (from 1988), designing for many national theatres including The Riverside Studios, Watford Palace, Theatr Clwyd, The Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, Perth Theatre, The Gate, The Man in the Moon and The Bridewell to name just a few.
What You'll Study
The course is supported by lectures and seminars in areas of dress history, construction and design to enable students to critically reflect on, and to consider the place of their practice within the discipline. Seminar discussion with a diverse range of artists will invite critiques of students’ work. The intense testing of work and practice in a challenging but safe arena is a particular element of the MA programme and innate strength of the learning process that is engendered at the Graduate School.
Areas of expertise within the course team include Historical Costume Construction, Costume Design Skills, Scenography and Dress History.
The exciting potential of this course is the ability to experiment and innovate whilst you hone your skills as a maker or designer. It fosters originality and creativity in the application of techniques of enquiry, research and making. It locates your practice in the interdisciplinary and global context, be it theoretically based on historical research and analysis or on a live production involving the transformation of costume design from page to stage.
Studios and Resources
Students on the MA Historical Costume course benefit from specialist facilities and equipment, tailored to the studies of the course which reflects industry practice.
Course Structure
MA Historical Costume is designed to enable the student to follow their research interests at M level whether that interest lies in historical costume construction or performance design. Working with students and staff from across a breadth of MA disciplines students will enrich the wider post-graduate dynamic at AUB with the individual experience and graduate expertise they bring with them.
The first unit of study Strategies for Practice: Identification allows for investigation into the specific area of study, which will involve research in the area of costume history that will be the focus of the following units of study.
As students’ progress through the Strategies for Practice: Identification unit they will be expected to choose and connect with a theme and exploit its interpretation and potential to inform the direction of their Masters’ Project 1 and 2.
Areas of Expertise and Engagement with External Professionals
The Undergraduate BA (Hons) Costume and Performance Design course is one of the leading courses in the UK specialising in costume construction, set and costume design (Scenography) and film costume design skills. These specialist areas of study contribute to the quality and breadth of practitioners that Masters students in MA Historical Costume have the opportunity to meet and engage with within the studio, seminar and lecture theatre.
All staff within the course team act as senior members of practice-led societies including the Performance Design Educators Collective (PDEC) and The Society of British Theatre Design (SBTD) as well as OISTAT and USITT. All Masters students are invited to contribute to the course Industry Liaison Group (ILG) which will always include members from both the theatre and film industries.
The Costume with Performance course enjoys the company of leading academics including visiting professor scenographer Professor Pamela Howard OBE, author of What is Scenography? (2009 and 2019), Oscar-winning designer and AUB Honorary Fellow Jenny Beavan OBE (designer of The Kings Speech, Sherlock Holmes and The Chronicles of Cranford) as well as a leading costume maker and Honorary fellow Jane Law.
Scholarships and Bursaries for EU & International Students
At AUB we aim to have a diverse student environment with the best creative talent and have a large number of bursaries and scholarships available, ranging from £2,000 to £20,000. These are awarded for every year of your course, giving you financial support throughout your time studying with us. All applicants are automatically considered. Find out more on our scool website.
