General information about applying for our undergraduate courses and the interview process.
Studying Design for the Stage gave me the practical skills I needed to work as a designer as well as help me develop an artistic voice. Collaborating with all the different courses at Central gives a real sense of what it is like to work in the industry and help you make connections with people you will work with in future. Since graduating, I have worked in a range of theatres including the Young Vic, Almeida Theatre, The Yard and the Royal Exchange Manchester. I was one of the winners of the Linbury Prize 2017 and the winner of the Stage Debut Awards for Best Designer 2018.
Khadija Raza
Graduated 2017, currently designing a show at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court.
General information about applying for our undergraduate courses and the interview process.
Information for home, EU, and non-EU students.
Find out how your course will be delivered.
Find out about upcoming BA (Hons) Theatre Practice (including Design for Performance) open days at Central.
We run small group tours every Wednesday at 2pm.
Information on studying and living in London for students from outside the UK.
Download our Prospectus to find out more.
Come and talk to us at an exhibition near you to learn more about our courses, scholarships and bursaries, and life at Central.
3 years full-time, October start
Institution code: C35; Course code: W461
Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Theatre Practice
Studying on the Design for Performance pathway of the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice course, you will:
The course develops practitioners with a strong sense of direction and identity, and an ability to think conceptually. From the first year you undertake speculative design projects that will challenge and test ideas in a broad range of performance contexts, from text-based drama to opera, dance, site-specific performance and installations, under the guidance of professional directors, designers and choreographers.
As the basis of a collaborative approach to design, you will share some workshops with acting students, enabling a deeper mutual insight into each other’s practices and methodologies. The course provides opportunities to work on undergraduate and postgraduate productions of plays, musicals, devised productions, community theatre, puppetry performances and performance art projects.
You will develop necessary skills, including model making, technical drawing with AutoCAD, costume drawing and storyboarding using Adobe Photoshop, and the use of projected media. You will have the opportunity to put these skills into practice on realised projects in Central’s professionally equipped performance spaces.
You can still apply for this course and be considered through UCAS despite them classing your application as 'late'. You can also register your interest in 2020 entry here and our Admissions Team will then contact you about interview options and further details.
Our standard academic entry requirements range between 120 and 64 UCAS tariff points. You can see how many tariff points your qualifications would gain on the UCAS Tariff Calculator. International qualifications and others not covered within the UCAS tariff can also be accepted. Please email us if you need further clarification.
Please note that we make lower offers (including unconditional) to exceptional candidates and those who have alternative or prior experience to offer. All candidates invited to interview are asked to bring a portfolio. Interview and portfolio are key factors in determining which applicants are accepted on to the course.
We particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in higher education, such as students with disabilities and members of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups. Find out more information on Central’s commitment to equality and diversity.
For information on alternative entry requirements see www.ucas.com.
Find out more about the interview process for this course.
Each year Central hosts a number of interviews outside of the UK, with a team of tutors from Central travelling to meet applicants. The international interviews are designed to replicate the London-based interview experience in every aspect (other than a tour of our site!). See our Event Finder for listings of upcoming interview locations and dates.
Visit the International Students section to view details of English language requirements for Central's courses.
A large number of successful placements take place, usually once for each student in either the second or third year of the course.
Past students have collaborated with, or had placements at the following - and have assisted or worked alongside professional designers and other industry professionals, both within the UK and abroad:
Sophie Jump, Simon Basketter, Sarah Beaton, Claire Christie, Keith Orton, Nicolai Hart-Hansen, Jacqueline Gunn, Yael Shavit, Tim Hopkins, Bronya Arciszewska, Amelia Sears, Minglu Wang, Jemima Yong.
Graduate employment and career pathways include:
Ruth Sutcliffe (2008) winner of Best Set Design at the Off West End Theatre Awards in 2012. Winner of the Linbury Prize for Stage Design in 2009.
Rebecca Brower (2011) nominated for a 2013 Off West End Theatre Award for Best Set Design. Winner of The Stage Design Award in 2011. Equity - Young Equity Member 2012, a bursary award to help new practitioners go further in the industry. The Stage - Design Award 2011 and Bursary aimed at up and coming Set and Costume Designers for Theatre.
Rosie Elnile (2014) winner of the Stage Debut Award for Best Designer in 2017. Jerwood Young Designer at Gate Theatre in 2016/17. Weston Jerwood Creative Bursary holder in the 2014-16 edition of the programme at Donmar Warehouse.
Khadija Raza (2017) won the Linbury Prize in 2017, the UK’s most prestigious award for stage design. Awarded a Stage Debut Award for Best Designer in 2018.
Sami Fendall (2018) was named the overall winner of the Linbury Prize in 2019.
QianEr Jin (2019) Project 2036 bursary as set and costume designer at The Bush in 2019-2020.
Sarah Beaton (2011) Winner of the Linbury Prize in 2011. 2015-16 One of the Old Vic 12.
View profiles of the academic staff who teach on this course. Click on each staff member to find out more about them.
