The day began with an exciting costume design workshop, where students explored how costume designers use colour, texture and symbolism to bring characters to life. Looking at productions such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Alice in Wonderland, they discovered how every fabric choice and design detail helps tell a story on stage.

Students then had the chance to unleash their creativity, designing their own costumes for a character of their choice. Using croquis templates, fabrics, and a variety of materials, they sketched, coloured, and annotated their ideas — just like professional costume designers do!

The adventure continued with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Royal Opera House’s incredible workshop spaces, where sets are designed and built for world-class productions in Covent Garden. Students were amazed to see the scale of the workshops and to learn about the sustainable practices used to recycle and repurpose set pieces for future performances.

It was an inspiring day that gave students a deeper appreciation of the artistry, teamwork, and imagination that make the performing arts so special.

“I liked visiting the set design workshop because it showed the variety of things designers create and helped me appreciate how much time and effort goes into their work.” Harrison.L

“I really enjoyed touring the production workshop. It showed how much work goes into each show and helped me realise how many different jobs exist within a working theatre. It was so organised, and I’ve learned that there are even apprenticeships available in this field.” Elizabeth.H

“I discovered what really happens behind the scenes of a theatre production. A huge amount of hard work goes into the costumes and set designs. Experiencing the thought process of costume designers by creating my own costume was my favourite part of the trip, as well as exploring the sets with my friends.” Rigel.D

“I loved having the opportunity to design my own outfit based on anything I wanted, using a mannequin. I also really liked seeing the costumes up close. Overall, I loved the visit.” Rubie.F

“I loved how everything was set out, especially the costumes and the workshop itself. The miniature scale set was beautiful too.” Hannah.C

“I really enjoyed learning about the history behind the props, drawings, costumes, and sets. I found it all fascinating and would love to visit again.” Evie-May.S

“My favourite part was looking at all the costumes and seeing how many were actually stored there. I also enjoyed creating a mini costume design and displaying it on a mannequin.” Hannah.A

“My favourite part was making my costume design.” Gracie.M

“I enjoyed the visit because it gave me an insight into what happens behind the scenes in theatre. Being able to see the costumes up close was really cool.” Isabelle.P

“I liked the costume design activity and seeing how the stage areas were decorated. The people there were really nice.” Anthonia.J