Design and Production at the VCA encompasses graphic design, performance design, production design for screen and technical production for live performance, offering set and props construction, costume construction, sound, light, digital media and stage management as specialist areas.
Our bachelor programs support designers, technicians, makers, and managers for live performance, film, and interdisciplinary environments. Our graphic design curriculum, guided by the principle 'thought into form,' encourages experimentation and play alongside technical mastery. Performance design students delve into the principles of light, sound, figure, and form in space. In live performance production, we develop practical skills in stage design, scenery and props construction, costume creation, sound design and system set-up, lighting design and application, digital media creation and stage management.
Our master programs, focusing on design for stage, screen or graphic industries, are tailored to each student's background. We strive to transfer and further develop expertise, building on previous experience in fields such as architecture, design, construction, film, performing arts, visual art or related disciplines.
Collaboration and interdisciplinary exchange are at our core. Students have the opportunity to work across disciplines, accessing Music, Music Theatre, Theatre, Acting, Dance, Visual Art, Animation and Film and Television bachelor programs and work with peers on their respective productions, projects or exhibitions. The diverse portfolios our students develop throughout their studies prepare them to step confidently into creative arts careers.
Design and Production Courses
Our Design and Production staff
As designers we build the visual world to engage the audience and enrich the storytelling. We help the audience to understand what’s happening, set the mood and tone, build the backstory of the characters and help the audience see and understand who, where and why we are in this place and time.
Jo BriscoeLecturer in Design
Want to know more?
Get information on the courses you’re interested in, or ask our team a question.
Showcase
News
New round of VCA50 Creative Development Grants supports seven emerging artists
The unseen environmental cost of a fleeting film set
A Copy of a Copy: Hany Armanious inspires graphic designers to embrace replication
VCA events
-
Jazz and Improvisation Large Ensemble Feast #2 2026
Thursday 8 October 2026 6:00pm - 10:00pmA night of eclectic sounds with the Jazz and Improvisation department showcasing the talents of our emerging contemporary improvisers and staff, as they perform in large ensembles. Featuring Masters & Apprentices directed by Andrea Keller, Big Band Mini directed by Vanessa Perica, Get on the ... -
Baroque Ensemble and Early Voices - End of Semester 2 Concert
Friday 9 October 2026 - All dayThe Early Music Studio and Early Voices proudly presents a semester’s work from its students. Enjoy excerpts from Le bourgeois gentilhomme, by French classical music’s legendary master Lully which establishes colour and pageantry. Alongside pieces from the sackbut ensemble which explores the exci... -
Jazz and Improvisation Small Ensemble Series #2 2026
12 October 2026 - 13 October 2026These concerts present original small ensemble music from second and third year students in the Jazz and Improvisation program at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Hear a new generation of creative musicians! Small Ensemble Series Schedule 12 October 2026, 7PM - Federation Hall 13 ...