APPLICATION FORM
Registrations for this program are now open.
You must be at least 18 years old as of December 31 of the year of entry at NTS.
WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAM UNIQUE
- A team of professionals, experienced practitioners in the theatrical world, support students throughout their project, from conception to completion. They include designers, carpenters, seamstresses, cutters, and scenic painters;
- Each student has the opportunity to design sets and costumes on several of the school’s venues: a black box and a proscenium stage;
- Students also have access to a props and costume warehouse, as well as set, costume, scenic painting, and prop workshops;
- Courses in various fields of set and costume design, such as circus, performance, film, and exhibition, are also offered;
- Last but not least, meetings with professors, coaches, and practitioners in the field help build up an extensive network of contacts.
3 years of training | 8 students per year
Training
Our training program allows students to dream and create while also giving them the tools to make their ideas become reality. To this end, we create a synergy between the reflective, creative, and technical aspects of scenographic practice, so that each facet feeds the others. In three years, students will have the opportunity to develop not only their artistic voice, but also the plastic skills to express it.
Costume and set design for theatre, dance, opera, or the circus arts
Curriculum
NTS offers highly individualized training. As such, the curriculum is subject to change, following the latest developments in technology, new artistic practices, and the needs of the unique group of artists making up each class.
Our training is always anchored in the field, related to the 20 student shows created each year.
Consult the list of coursesAudit a Class
If you are considering applying to the Set and Costume Design Program, you can watch two classes that were open to applicants and get a glimpse of the training available.
- Circus Costumes with Michael Slack, watch on YouTube
- History of Architecture with Gabriel Tsampalieros, watch on YouTube
Please note: these courses are presented as examples only; all courses are taught in person on our campuses.
See students in action
Introduction to lighting design class given to 1st-year students in the Set and Costume Design program by teaching-artist Luc Prairie. Photo Credit: Vincent Morreale
Instructors
The training is led by renowned professional artists who are at the top of their game. They come from all over the country and share their vast experiences with our students.
NTS has a total ratio of two teachers per student. New teaching artists guide our students every year.
List of teachers who guide our studentsStéphane Longpré - Director of Set and Costume Design Program
“NTS forged who I am today, not only as an artist, but also as a human being. I discovered theatre. I met artists committed to their communities. It gave me meaning. In my opinion, it’s a training program that’s unique in Canada, and particularly because of its bilingual character and its cultural and social mix, which give it an incomparable richness. In my opinion, this openness to others is at the heart of teaching at NTS: to be confronted with different visions, theatres and approaches in order to nourish one’s identity as an artist and find one’s own path as a creator.”
Since graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada’s Set Design program in 2002, Stéphane Longpré has worked on a number of shows as a set designer, prop designer and assistant set designer.
Read the bio
They hired our Set and Costume Design Alumni:
- Canadian Opera Company
- Cirque du Soleil
- La Comédie-Française
- Ex Machina
- Metropolitan Opera
- Moment Factory
- Neptune Theatre
- Opéra de Paris
- Shaw Festival Stratford Festival
- Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui
- Cirque Éloize
- Festival TransAmériques
- Opéra de Montréal
- Théâtre de Quat’Sous Mirari
- Théâtre du Nouveau Monde
- Espace Go
A co-lingual program
The Set and Costume Design program is colingual, meaning that English-speaking and French-speaking students are part of the same group and attend the same classes. Candidates are not required to be bilingual, but an understanding of both languages can be an asset.
Teaching artists ensure that each student has access to the same content, or to similar content if the same content is not available. Each student must be able to express themselves in the language of their choice, and to produce and present their work in the language of their choice.
This particularity, which we consider to be an asset, nevertheless requires patience and understanding on the part of the students.
NEED ANY HELP?
Read the Frequently Asked Questions
CONTACT OUR REGISTRATION OFFICE
514-842-7954, ext. 134
