Production Facilities

Get lost in wardrobe, with costumes and accessories from every era imaginable and staff on hand to help guide students to assemble the perfect costumes for performance.

The wardrobe department is a new, purpose-built, well-lit workroom with an excellent cutting table, storage for fabrics, haberdashery, patterns and books. The room is well equipped with industrial and domestic sewing machines, overlockers and irons, Stockman dummies and a comprehensive collection of costume books and references.

There is a fitting area with two generous changing rooms. We have an enviable costume and shoe store and a well-equipped maintenance room. The workspace facilitates the delivery of the BA Production Arts and Design programme teaching students a variety of specialisms such as millinery, pattern cutting and costume construction. There are 4 full-time Costume Tutors and a Lecturer in Costume.

The Paintshop at the Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks is a large purpose built painting studio which has a static paintframe [12m x 8m drop], accessed by a state-of-the-art fully automated bridge. This is used for painting backdrops and gauzes. Additionally, there is 12 x 7m of uninterrupted floor space, with a head height of 5.5m.

It is used for painting all of the sets and backdrops for the Conservatoire’s many in-house productions including Drama, Musicals and Operas. It is also utilised extensively in the training of all Scenic Art /Production Arts students in drawing, painting, texturing, faux finishing and all other aspects of both traditional and contemporary scenic art techniques.

Two industrial sinks, with sump, allow for the safe use and cleaning of equipment when using water-based paints. Spray painting is facilitated by a silent compressor.

If you choose to specialise in design – whether that is costume or set – you will find yourself at home in the design rooms within the Wallace Studios.

Specially created to be light, airy spaces where designers can work on their sketches and model boxes, these studios are havens of creativity. Classes take place during the term in the studios and students will also work there throughout the year, finessing their latest designs.

For students who choose to specialise in props, the Production workshop houses a wet and dry props room where you are encouraged to let your imagination run wild.

Led by tutors with decades of industry experience, you will be encouraged to create your own designs, as well as work with designers and directors from across the conservatoire to make works for live performances taking place at RCS.

At the heart of the Wallace Studios is the massive construction workshop – large enough to house a full-sized paint frame, the only one of its kind in Scotland.

The construction workshop is where designers’ visions come to life. The majority of all RCS sets are built within the workshop and Production students will work alongside the designers and directors to create the best theatre experience possible.

The construction workshop is always a hub of activity – we recommend you visit to see for yourself the collaborative nature of the work of RCS students!

In 2008 we introduced specialist training in stage automation using a state-of-the-art system from industry giants Stage Technologies. In so doing, we became the world’s first industry-endorsed training provider of this equipment, used in major productions around the world.