What the job entails:

Wardrobe assistants organise and look after costumes for theatre, film and television productions. They have to know what each actor is supposed to be wearing at every stage of the performance. This includes clothes, shoes, jewellery and wigs. They keep a record of this and make sure everything is ready for when it is needed. When the costumes have been worn, the wardrobe assistant cleans and irons them. They also do any mending and changes that are needed. It is important that the assistant keeps the wardrobe department in good order so things can be found easily.

Routes and choices while at school:

There are various routes that you could take to become a wardrobe assistant. They include apprenticeships, further education courses and university courses. However, the first thing to do is to get some GCSEs at grades 4 or C or better, or equivalent. These should include English and maths. Art, drama and textiles are clearly relevant, too. History would give you useful background information for historical productions. There is a lot of competition in this industry so getting good results will help you to compete for jobs, courses and apprenticeships.

Pay:

Pay when starting is about £19,000 to £20,000 per year. When experienced, it is about £19,000 to £25,000. For experts with a lot of experience, pay can rise to £30,000 or more.

If you have any careers queries or would like to discuss any aspects of careers in more detail, please see Mrs Halford in her office opposite Student Services.