BA Production Arts & Design | Undergraduate Introduction

Introduction

Welcome to Production at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Production consists of both the BA Production Arts and Design and the BA Production Technology and Management programmes. Production students will work very closely with each other in the classroom and on RCS productions.

Ros Maddison is Head of Production and has been leading the department since 2002, before which she taught stage management. Prior to this, she worked as a freelance stage manager across Scotland. Ros has been External Examiner for a variety of other institutions including RADA and Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts and the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Dublin. She became a Fellow of the Royal Conservatoire in 2012.

The Production Arts and Design programme has been designed to create a high-level conservatoire learning environment for aspiring scenic artists, prop makers, stage carpenters, costume makers, and set and costume designers. You will learn in an environment where your technical knowledge is as important as your creativity and individuality.

You will be accepted based on your profile in one particular area, taken from the five subjects on offer (scenic art, set construction, costume construction, prop-making, and set/costume design). You will follow an individually-negotiated pathway based on a major and minor study to ensure a quality learning experience and afford you the opportunity to engage with the broad and diverse range of performance programmes.

The opportunity to work with film-makers, dancers, musicians and actors is unique and the facilities in which we do this are second to none. The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks has purpose-built production workshops and design studios and the Renfrew Street building houses five public performance spaces including a fully-equipped proscenium arch theatre and a black box studio theatre. The combination of professional venues, extensive workshops, construction spaces, design studios and the latest stage and workshop technologies provide a fantastic learning environment.

As our standards are rooted in industry practice we have exceptionally strong links with professional partners from across the UK and beyond. We have very close relationships with the key Scottish national companies, such as Scottish Opera, the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet as well as the majority of regional theatres such as the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.We work closely with industry to ensure the expertise you acquire is current, competitive and of the highest professional standard.

If you have an employment opportunity in any of the following areas please contact Ros at r.maddison@rcs.ac.uk with full details and she will be happy to share this information with the relevant students:

Programme structure

Students on this programme are interviewed and accepted based on their profile in one particular area of study taken from the five subjects on offer (scenic art, set construction, costume construction, prop making and set/costume design). This subject becomes their major study and is the basis for their pathway through the programme and potential employment opportunities after graduation.

Year One

You will experience all areas of the theatre production process as well as build initial skills and knowledge in your major subject. You will receive a broad-based introduction to the production environment and the standard practices both in production arts and design and also in its sister programme production technology and management. In the five core subjects, the design process is examined through a range of projects, workshop rotations and collaborative projects culminating in the choice of a minor subject to complement your major study pathway. You will also investigate the collaborative nature of production and performance and have the opportunity to work with year one students from across RCS.

Year Two

You will consolidate your skills and knowledge and be introduced to more advanced approaches and techniques including Personal and Professional Development skills. Production Arts students engage with practice-based work on RCS productions as part of a collaborative team with students from third year. Processes, skills and techniques are gathered, as well as the opportunity to observe senior students in managerial positions. Design students explore the design process from concept to final presentation through personal projects and begin the process of designing for a fully realised production.

Year Three

Each student negotiates their individual pathway in third year to take advantage of the available production roles, personal projects, options modules and work placement opportunities. The
placement ensures you are making contacts with industry practitioners and potential employers. A showcase of work is exhibited at the end of the year and a range of potential employers are invited to view your work.

Assessment

Most work is assessed through staff observations of your practice but reflection underpins the approach to assessment, and reflective journals and summary statements form a key component of assessment in Personal and Professional Development modules. There is a strong emphasis on the assessment of process including working with others. Students in levels two and three engage in portfolio building as an element of professional development planning, specifically designed to aid their self-promotion, and transition into the workplace.

Why choose us?

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is in the World Top 10 for performing arts education 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 (QS World Rankings)

Only degree of its kind in Scotland
100% of graduate respondents are in employment or full-time study (HESA, 16/17)
Industry placement and final year showcase
Workshops and masterclasses with distinguished visiting professionals
Invaluable industry partnerships including National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Scottish Ballet, Citizens Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Disney Cruise Lines, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, The Envelope Room, Society of British Theatre Designers and Scottish Opera
Purpose-built production workshops, design studios and five public performance spaces
Study abroad opportunities in Europe, Australia, California and Hong Kong
Continuing student success on major TV shows such as Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones, Outlander, Downton Abbey and The Crown and on major films such as The Outlaw King and with major artists such as Beyoncé.

Teaching staff

Ros Maddison
Head of Production

Gary Fry Lecturer in Scenic Art
Zander Lee Lecturer in Scenery Construction
Martin Mallorie Lecturer in Props Construction
Christine Murphy Lecturer in Costume Construction
Robin Peoples Lecturer in Design

The BA Production Technology and Management Programme team deliver a range of sessions on your programme especially throughout year one. Also led by the Head of Production, the team consists of four dedicated lecturers and four tutors.

Steve Macluskie – Lecturer in Stage Technology
Susan May Hawley – Lecturer in Stage Management
Christoph Wagner – Lecturer in Lighting
Claire Hibberd – Lecturer in Sound Technology
Sam Burt – Stage Management Tutor
Barry McCall – Sound Tutor
Dave Evans – Lighting Tutor
Malcolm Stephens – Stage Supervisor (Tutor)

Central Production Unit (CPU)

The Central Production Unit consists of tutors who mentor and supervise students in the production arts workshops including tuition and tutorial support. There are also three Production Managers in the CPU who will be your line managers on production work but who are also there to support your learning. The CPU is separate to the School of Drama, Dance, Production and Film and supports all RCS productions as required.

CPU Staff

Lynfryn Mackenzie – Head of Technical Production
Kevin Murray – Production Manager
Colin Bell – Production Manager
Gillian Affleck – Costume Tutor
Gill McLeod – Costume Tutor
Linda Logan – Costume Tutor
Lynne McGinley – Costume Tutor (PT)
Anna Antczak – Costume Tutor (PT)
Simon Cook – Workshop Manager
Matt Doolan – Construction Tutor
Astrella Oldham – Props Tutor
Merlin Currie – Props Tutor
Rhonda Barclay – Production Support Assistant (Stores)

Venues Team Technicians

The Venues Team provide technical support in RCS venues and offer advice and guidance in production practice. They work independently to the School of Drama, Dance, Production and Film and have responsibility for all RCS internal venues. The team is led by:

Kevin Robertson – Resident Stage Manager

The Programme also has administration support from the AAS staff:

Kirstin Halliday– Programme Support Administrator (Production & Film)

Visiting Staff and Practitioners

Design students are sometimes mentored by a professional designer as well as full-time staff in order to make contacts and reap the benefit of advice straight from the industry. In addition to this, the department works with a range of professional practitioners in order to support RCS productions. These include; designers, scenic artists, prop makers, costume makers and carpenters.

Facilities

In addition to being an academic institution, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is Scotland’s busiest performing arts venues. Its outstanding and well-equipped performance facilities provide a rich resource for the community, and are regularly hired for public presentations by local and national performing arts companies for dance and drama productions as well as for music concerts and recitals. This makes RCS a hub for performing arts activities in Glasgow and provides a stimulating contribution to Production students’ learning environment.

The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks are excellent, fully equipped design and workshop spaces where both production work and student practical training occur. These facilities are second to none and include three props workshops, a paint shop with full-sized paint frame and motorised bridge, a fully equipped machine shop and construction workshop with welding bay, ample costume construction workshops with considerable wardrobe stock stores and a design studio for set/costume design students.

The award-winning facilities and equipment have been acknowledged as sector-leading both nationally and internationally and RCS has an established track record for providing the highest quality education in the Technical and Production Arts.

The Renfrew Street building houses a variety of sophisticated, state-of-the-art venues, which were purpose-built to accommodate different types of performance genre and production styles to varying audience sizes.

The New Athenaeum Theatre is the largest performance venue with small intimate 344 seats in comparison to its full size (16m x12m) stage. It boasts manual and counterweight flying with a 15m working height and two different types of automation show control by Stage Technologies and Kinesys. The forestage is hydraulic and lowers to form a large orchestra pit which can accommodate up to 30 musicians.

The Chandler Studio is a 13m x 13m space which has a retractable bleacher style seating bank for 114. The seating can be retracted allowing for a flexible, adaptable space. The Studio is often used for smaller scale, more intimate and experimental theatre work, but is nevertheless fully equipped with lighting and sound equipment.

The Alexander Gibson Opera School houses rehearsal and coaching rooms and a relatively adaptable performance space for small-scale drama projects, opera scenes, music recitals and concerts.

Students may also work in external spaces and venues such as the Citizens Theatre, the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, the Kings Theatre and the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh and the Criterion in London.

Take a look at our impressive facilities.

Graduate destinations

Class of 2020 Production Showcase

Discover the work of our recent graduates in our online Production Showcase.

Graduate destinations

Recent graduate destinations include Assistant Carpenter (Royal Lyceum & Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Assistant Scenic Artist (Royal Opera House, Royal Lyceum, Citizens Theatre & Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Art Department (BBC), Principal Costumes (Game of Thrones) Costume Intern (Scottish Opera, Outlander), Costume Assistant (Cirque du Soleil) plus design roles with the BBC and National Theatre of Scotland.

Images and video

Fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for academic year 2020-21

Scottish/EU Students – £1,820
Rest of UK (RUK) Students – £9,250
International (Non EU) – £17,685

From the next academic year (21/22) all EU students commencing study in Scotland will pay fees at the International rate.

Scottish/EU students

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) will pay tuition fees for all eligible full-time Scottish-based and other non-UK undergraduate EU students, who are studying in Scotland at degree level for the first time. Students should apply to SAAS for payment of tuition fees even if they are not applying for any other means of support. Eligible students can also apply for student loans through SAAS . For further advice and to check eligibility contact SAAS directly on 0300 555 0505 or visit their website .

Rest of UK students

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland studying in Scotland will be eligible for the same funding/loan package that they would benefit from if they attended an institution in their home country. For further advice please visit student finance England , student finance Wales , or student finance Northern Ireland as appropriate.

International students

Students from outside the EU typically fund higher education by a variety of resources, depending on the home country. More specific information on funding options relevant to specific countries can be found on our International page.

Scholarships

Any potential student who auditions for a place at the Royal Conservatoire will automatically be considered for a scholarship. They are awarded on a combination of talent, potential and financial need. More information about Scholarships is available here

Sources of external funding

For more information about alternative funding sources, including external scholarships and bursaries, please visit here.

The Conservatoire’s International and Student Experience team are available to advise and assist applicants and current students in respect of queries about funding your studies at the Conservatoire. Please email or telephone +44 (0)141 270 8281/ +44 (0)141 270 8223 for further information.

Cost of Living and Associated Programme Costs

Investing in your future is important and you need to consider the cost of your tuition as well as the cost of living during your studies. In addition to tuition fees, it is estimated that you will need between £10,000 and £12,000 per year to live in Glasgow, plus programme costs. Assocated programme costs can be found here.

Entry requirements

Our admissions processes are designed to be fair, transparent and efficient. The audition/interview approach serves the dual nature of allowing the panel to assess first-hand an applicant’s suitability for their chosen programme and it also affords the applicant the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the nature of that programme and the opportunities offered by the RCS.

In arriving at its recommendation, the audition/interview panel will take account of all aspects of the applicant’s profile i.e.:

General Academic entrance requirements

Scottish Highers — 3 passes (grade C or above)
A Levels — 2 passes
International Baccalaureate — minimum score of 24 with 3 subjects at Higher Level
Recognised equivalences (EU and International Entry Requirements)

We welcome the Scottish Baccalaureate and will accept combinations of Highers and Advanced Highers.

We offer a flexible approach to students taking Higher over more than one academic year and/or who achieve their qualifications in more than one sitting.

Language of Study

The language of study is English. Applicants who first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. We accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Level 6.5 (with no component below 5.5) is required.

Direct Entry

Applications for direct entry beyond Year 1 will be considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with the Royal Conservatoire’s Recognition of Prior (Experiential) Learning policy. If you wish to apply for direct entry, please mark the point of entry on UCAS Conservatoires application as 2 or 3.

Non-standard Entry

We welcome applications from individuals whose academic qualifications or English language qualifications do not match (in terms of equivalence) or fall short of the normal entrance requirements, where specified*. Having satisfied the Audition Panel that they meet the selection criteria and demonstrated that they have the capacity to pursue the proposed course of study, such applicants will be considered through examination of contextualised data provided in accordance with the Non-Standard Entry Policy. The appropriate Head of Department/ Programme will make a case in support of the applicant for consideration by the Directors of the Schools and Convener of the Quality and Standards Committee.

*Note that UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) imposes minimum English Language qualifications in respect of international (non-EU) applicants who require a Tier 4 Visa to study in the UK.

Mature Students

RCS welcomes applications from mature students, i.e. students over the age of 21 at entry to the programme. Whilst the selection procedures will still be applied, consideration will be given to appropriate artistic experience not normally expected in school leavers, which is deemed to compensate for any lack of traditional entrance qualifications. Successful mature applicants, as for all other applicants, must convince auditioning panels that they have the ability and potential to cope with the demands of the programme. Their progress, especially in the early stages of the programme, will be closely monitored and appropriate advice and support given.

How to Apply

Graduate profile

Nicola Russell, Class of 2014

How would you describe your practice?
I am a dance, gymnastic and skating wear retailer with a custom-made costume design and manufacture service. I also do non-dancewear alteration, design and manufacture.

From your own experience, what skills and qualities would you say are most needed to be a career self-starter in your particular field?
I would say one of the main skills you need is to be committed and self-motivated. Nine to five hours, holidays and sick days rarely exist when starting your own business.
Starting out I completely underestimated how much work and time was needed. Areas such as:

finding suppliers then getting the best price and quality
the legal side of tenancy agreements, staff contracts, employment laws and procedures, and regulations with health and safety and First Aid
accounting, hidden overheads, cash flow, budgeting and business banking
website construction
setup and ongoing social media training

I also think you need to be very critical of your own work. If it’s your name above the door and your reputation on the line then you have to be able to look at your work and
question if it is of a high enough standard for your customers. If not then act upon it.

How did the Royal Conservatoire prepare you for that?
I was very lucky that I chose a module where I could build in what I wanted to learn about during my final year.

I constructed a module all about setting up a business. I arranged sessions with Business Gateway and other professionals from my field. I also undertook research into other businesses/suppliers and competitors. Between this unit and my work experience unit, I was able to gain knowledge to help me to get to the point where I was ready
to start my business venture.

I still keep in regular contact with my lecturers and know that if I find myself in a difficult situation I can always contact them for a second opinion and support.

What have you learned through operating as a company owner?
Too many lessons to list them all and I feel I still have a lot more to learn. As this industry is ever changing and growing, we are always looking for new ways to improve the service we offer or keep up with the latest technology.

Was there a turning point or realisation in your education that set you on your current path?
It was in second year. I loved working in the theatre industry, however I also love having an active role in my children’s lives. The theatre lifestyle of long days and late nights in the city didn’t work easily with raising three young children in the countryside.

Through my children I was heavily involved in the dance industry and realised that my hobby of making dance costumes could satisfy my love of creating for performance.
This has given me a perfect balance of work and family time.

What does success look like to you?
Success to me is waking up and wanting to go to work every day because you enjoy your job. As a business owner I understand that I have to invest back into the business, and that in time I will be financially successful. I am proud when I pass the shop with my name above it, or see a customer take the floor, feeling a million dollars in their costume. I look forward to growing the business to a larger team in the future.

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BA Production Arts and Design

Introduction