The prestigious award is organised by The Royal Anniversary Trust, an independent charity promoting world class excellence and achievement through The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education. AUB has been awarded the prize for ‘distinguished degree level education in costume design for the UK’s leading creative industries’.
AUB were also recognised for outstanding work in education for the film industry with the Queen’s Award in 1998 (formerly as the Arts Institute at Bournemouth) and are one of two specialist institutions to have received the award on two occasions.
The former Vice Chancellor, Professor Stuart Bartholomew CBE, staff members from the BA (Hons) Costume and Performance Design Team and students from the course were invited to the reception at St James Palace on Thursday 30 November, where the prizes were announced. The Royal Anniversary Trust will award a prize certificate which has been signed by HM The Queen herself.
The prize citation reads:
The University is recognised as a centre of excellence for degree level education in costume design, having grown from providing a relatively small course into a comprehensive and influential programme.
It contributes significantly to the UK’s high reputation in this branch of the creative industries and thereby to the UK economy. The production environment of the education and training covers film, television and theatre, placing special emphasis on students’ work being informed and underpinned by a sound academic understanding of historical and social contexts, and of the materials and methods of the time.
This approach has produced graduates with a rounded education in the subject and well prepared for the demands of the industry. The overall cohort in the subject at under and postgraduate level currently stands at 200, achieving in 2016 an outstanding (100%) rate of progression into relevant employment.
Alumni achievement is evidenced by numerous international awards including Oscar nominations in costume design and extensive involvements in high-profile and internationally successful UK television productions, including Downton Abbey and Sherlock, and in live theatre. The University was also responsible for innovative and widely acclaimed costume design work for events at Weymouth for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
The award will also be recognised at a formal presentation of prizes and reception at Buckingham Palace on the 22 February 2018.
Some examples of projects BA (Hons) Costume and Performance Design students and alumni have worked on:
ITV’s Victoria
Victoria was premiered in August 2016 on ITV. Several BA (Hons) Costume and Performance Design alumni were employed as key costume team members, working with the cast, including Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria and Tom Hughes as Prince Albert, to produce the detailed and meticulously researched costumes. Of particular note is 2015 graduate, Milly Barter, who has worked on both series as a Creative Skill Set Trainee.
In 2013, AUB was the first university to achieve accreditation for costume in the UK.
Replica of Elisabeth de Valois’ gown 1560
The dress, headdress and jewellery were made by 2015 graduate Emily Ryan as an interpretation of the 1560 portrait of Elisabeth de Valois painted by Alonso Sánchez Coello, that is held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. The cutting is exemplary, including the highly complex conical sleeve, held together with gold aiglets. Emily also created the jewels and decorations that adorn the dress, using laser cutting and moulds to manufacture cabochons and filigree mounts.
AUB celebrates 80 years of working the camera at Wimbledon 1937-2017
This summer, 70 first-year students performed on location at a local tennis club to recreate the atmosphere of the 1937 Wimbledon Championships. Costumes were made from a series of 30 designs created by recent graduate, Tiffany Dawson. The project was a collaboration between the BA (Hons) Costume and Performance Design, BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance and BA (Hons) Film Production courses. The film was written and directed by Mark Sephton with cinematography by Vlad Jakovlev.
Image courtesy of ITV’s Victoria.
