Dream and create: make your ideas come true

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

APPLICATION FORM

Registrations for this program are now closed. Thank you to all the candidates who submitted their applications.

You will soon receive an email with information regarding the next steps. See you for the next application round that will be from October 1st 2025 to January 31st 2026!

You must be at least 18 years old as of December 31 of the year of entry at NTS.

PROJECT

Candidates have one month to complete an artistic project. Instructions are sent after the application deadline.

INTERVIEW

Candidates who pass this initial step are invited to an interview during which they are asked to present a portfolio of recent art or theatrical work.

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 courses

Audit 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.

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 students

Stéphane 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

services@ent-nts.ca

514-842-7954, ext. 134

FINANCIAL MATTERS

Learn more about tuition fees, student bursaries, and loans.

Start your application now!

Set and Costume Design