Free BTEC Level 3 Production Arts Course in Birmingham. Classes run at BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy, full-time over two years. This free, full-time, post-16 course is built around live industry projects, working alongside partners such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Old Rep Theatre. You'll develop practical skills in set design, costume, props, hair, and make-up, building a journal and e-portfolio as you go. Entry is based on aptitude, not grades.
Who this course is for
Our Set, Props & Costume course prepares young people to progress to work in theatre and studio arts departments and manage productions in both the stage and screen industries. Interested in creating things and developing a craft? Do you want to design costumes, sets, hair, make-up, props, and learn the skills to bring them to life? Do you want to work behind the curtain, in the workshop, in the gallery, in the greenroom, up in the gods managing the production? At BOA Stage and Screen Production we place significant emphasis on work-readiness, project based learning and industry collaboration, and our purpose-built curriculum has been designed in collaboration with major UK industry partners to ensure our students are genuinely "workshop-ready" when they leave us. The Set, Props & Costume course at BOA Stage and Screen Production academy is much, much more than the BTEC course alone, it is a passport into the industry. Students at BOA Stage and Screen will undertake a sequence of live industry projects, working with major partners such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Old Rep Theatre, choosing roles, attending relevant workshops and classes, executing their duties, and keeping a journal and e-portfolio as evidence. For example every year our Year 13 students design, build and manage the major Xmas commercial production at the Old Rep Theatre!
Entry requirements
If you can demonstrate the raw talent, no matter your training or previous experience, there is a strong chance we are for you. We are 100% selective, based on aptitude - not your grades.
What you will learn
You'll design and build sets, props, and costumes for stage and screen productions.
You'll develop skills in hair, make-up, and practical craft techniques.
You'll manage production tasks across live industry projects.
You'll work in roles on real productions, choosing responsibilities and executing them.
You'll keep a journal and build an e-portfolio to document your work.
You'll collaborate with industry partners on commercial and theatrical productions.
You'll develop an understanding of how theatre and studio arts departments operate.
How you will learn
You'll learn through project-based work on live industry productions, attending workshops and classes at the academy. Assessment is ongoing, with your journal and e-portfolio regularly reviewed against the Pearson Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Production Arts Practice. At the end of year one, you'll achieve the Foundation Diploma. Year two builds toward the full Extended Diploma. Classes are full-time and daytime based.
What you will need to bring
The centre will provide most materials. BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy will confirm anything else you need before you start.
Where next
Jobs you could do
Set designer. Creates sets for theatre, film, and TV productions.
Costume designer. Designs and makes costumes for stage and screen.
Props maker. Builds and manages props for live and recorded productions.
Make-up artist. Applies hair and make-up for theatre and screen.
Production assistant. Supports the running of stage or studio productions.
Stage manager. Oversees the technical and logistical side of productions.
Wardrobe assistant. Maintains and organises costumes during a production run.
What you could study next
A degree in Theatre Design, Production Arts, or Costume Design. The Extended Diploma is worth the equivalent of three A levels and is widely accepted for university entry in creative arts subjects.
A degree in Film and Television Production. Opens routes into screen-based production roles.
Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in Creative Arts. A shorter higher-education route if a full degree isn't your next step.
