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Introduction to Set and Costume Design (ages 13-17)

Summer School for Children and Young People

This week long in-person summer school aims to help students develop a greater understanding of the process for set and costume design, and how it relates to the performing arts.

The course consists of practical and theoretical teaching in set and costume design, students will be encouraged to develop their own unique designs in preparation for a final presentation of their work in the last day of the summer school.

This summer school is a useful opportunity for students to build evidence for their portfolios and to reflect and evaluate on their work within a group.

Over the course of the summer school, you will work alongside other students on the development of your own unique design ideas and solutions, culminating in a fully realised model box and costume designs.

This summer school is aimed at students of all abilities and you will learn and explore set and costume design in a fun, supportive and challenging environment.

By the end of the course you should have:

  • Developed an awareness of the design process from initial idea through to production
  • Worked with experienced industry professionals to develop and expand specialist skills
  • Gained greater insight into how design works within the context of the performing arts
  • Participated in a practical project culminating in a presentation of your design work

If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

You may be interested in: Stage Production (13-17)

The important details

Age:
13 - 17

Cost:
£315

Dates:
21 - 25 July 2025

Time:
Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm

Venue:
The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks, 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR


Course Information

This is an open access course with no specific entry requirements.

Students should have an interest in design and should come to the course willing to collaborate with others.

This summer school is aimed at 13-17 year olds interested in developing skills in set and costume design. It may be useful for those wishing to pursue a pathway to further training or explore a career in this field.

The summer school will be held in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s purpose built campus, Wallace Studios at Speirs Lock, and you will benefit from using the same studio and resources as full-time BA Production students.

Under the guidance of the course leaders, you will take part in a mix of group discussions and workshops that will develop your knowledge of set and costume design for the performing arts. Looking at the three stages of design — research, development and presentation — you will explore and learn how design for performing arts is formed. Led by the Course Leaders, you will use the sketch book as an important tool for development, and you will produce a working documentation of a designer’s journey from initial ideas to a fully-fledged design concept.

Over the course of the summer school, you will work alongside other students on the development of your own unique design ideas and solutions, culminating in a fully realised model box and costume design.

Students will be sent a poem or piece of text in advance of the course starting. Students should have familiarized themselves with the text before the course begins.

No previous knowledge is required but a keen interest in design for performance is important.

Students are required to provide the following equipment for the course: sketchbook (A4, A3 or A2), notebook (A5 or A4), drawing materials (pen/pencil/rubber) and a USB memory stick.

This courses fun Monday, 21 July – Friday, 25 July, 10am – 5pm.

Summer Accommodation

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR


Further Information

We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

James McAvoy Drama Scholarships

BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.

James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.

The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.

You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.

We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.

You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.

Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.

Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.

Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.

Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.

Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk

Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk

Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk