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
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Get information on the courses you’re interested in, or ask our team a question.
Showcase
News
The unseen environmental cost of a fleeting film set
A Copy of a Copy: Hany Armanious inspires graphic designers to embrace replication
Celebrating ten years of Production Design for Film and Television at the VCA
VCA events
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Unbound frequencies
Tuesday 28 July 2026 7:30pm - 8:40pmUnbound Frequencies showcases new composer-performer works from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music’s Interactive Composition community. Exploring synthesis, audiovisual performance, spatial sound, and experimental music practices, the program traverses immersive sonic environments, live electr... -
Master of Music (Orchestral Performance) Showcase Concert 2026
Wednesday 29 July 2026 7:30pm - 9:15pmJoin our Master of Music (Orchestral Performance) students in their annual showcase concert. You will hear the entire cohort perform alongside elite musicians from our city’s professional orchestras. The concert will be introduced by members of the ensemble and directed by Richard Davis and Tim B... -
Bach reimagined
Tuesday 4 August 2026 7:30pm - 8:45pmJoin renowned pianist Kristian Chong in Bach works for keyboard and works for other instruments that have been transcribed and reimagined by masterful composers Liszt and Busoni for the piano. Opening with grandeur, Bach’s Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue remains one of his most daring and innova...