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Costume Design for the Stage: A History
Online course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
The V&A has an unrivalled collection of costume designs for theatre, opera, dance, circus, pantomime and film covering 400 years of the artform. Taking inspiration from the museum’s earliest costume design collection – the 1620s Court Ballet of Louis XIII – this course will examine and celebrate the design process from script to stage.
Learn from our world-class experts wherever you are, whenever suits you: watch lectures live or view the recording later in your own time. You can experience the full breadth and depth of the V&A's collections with 12 hours of study over 6 weeks. Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials, lecture notes, copies of the presentations, and additional study materials are available in our secure Microsoft Teams environment for 6 weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a thing. And finally, join the conversation: share your perspective with your fellow students, and support each other in your further enquiries outside of class time.
V&A Academy Course Leader
Keith Lodwick
Keith Lodwick is a theatre historian, writer and lecturer. He is the former Curator of Theatre and Screen Arts at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Keith has lectured widely on costume design and contributed to several publications including Hollywood Costume (2012) and Performance Costume: New Perspectives and Methods (2021).
Fantastic course. The level of expertise and enthusiasm of the speakers was really impressive. Previous V&A Academy Online Course Attendee
Course overview
The V&A has an unrivalled collection of costume designs for theatre, opera, dance, circus, pantomime and film covering 400 years of the artform. Taking inspiration from the museum’s earliest costume design collection – the 1620s Court Ballet of Louis XIII – this course will examine and celebrate the design process from script to stage.
Costume design is an essential role in performance storytelling and informs the audience of the ‘who, when and where’ of the narrative. The costume designer is central in bringing characters to life from a variety of contexts including text, choreography, and libretto. Costumes can create an entire world in the performance space and can be understood without scenery; costume can also define social status, history, and personality.
The costume history course will explore the techniques and working methods of artists such as Leon Bakst, Oliver Messel, Cecil Beaton, Maria Bjornson, Lez Brotherston and Vicki Mortimer. It will also explore the role of the costume house, the mounting of stage costume for exhibition display and in-conversations with V&A curators and costume designers.
V&A Academy Online. A learning environment you can trust.
Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations.
See FAQs to learn more about joining online.
See FAQs to learn more about joining online.
Enrol now
Online course: Costume Design for the Stage: A History
7 November 2024 - 12 December 2024
£130.00
Call to book +44 (0)20 7942 2000
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
