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Production & Design

When you watch a performance, it's easy to think that all the creativity is happening on stage. But it takes a lot of creative thinking and skill behind the scenes to make the show come together. In these WAAPA courses, you'll really use your imagination to bring lots of performances to life.

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Creative thinkers made here.
Creative thinkers made here.

Why ECU?

  • QILT logo

    Top uni in WA for Creative Arts

    Includes best ranking for undergraduate teaching quality, skills development, learning resources and student support.
    QILT is an independent Australian government survey.

  • The Good Universities Guide - teaching quality

    The highest quality teaching

    ECU is one of the best unis in Australia for teaching. We've had 17 straight years of 5-star ratings in the Good Universities Guide to prove it!

  • THE World University Rankings Top 100 Young

    One of the world's young guns

    We're ranked one of the world's best universities under 50 years old, and we've already established a global reputation for such a young institution.

Courses

Production and Design courses include our highly-regarded Arts Management course, plus professionally recognised Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas offering specialisations in Costume for Performance, Design, Lighting, Props and Scenery, Sound and Stage Management.

Need some help deciding what to study?

Our future student events include a mix of on-campus and online sessions designed to help you decide what to study at ECU.

Download a guide

If you prefer paper over pixels, please download one of our guides.

Creative thinkers start here

Experience Production & Design at ECU.

Explore your options

  • "When you choose to study at WAAPA, you'll be joining one of the world's most celebrated performing arts academies, recognised for the quality of its graduates-turned-stars."

  • WAAPA's production of Crazy for You at His Majesty's Theatre in Perth provided opportunities for students Holly Ballam (Stage Management) and Samuel Moloney (Music Theatre) to combine their backstage and on-stage skills under the watchful eye of industry professionals.

Scholarship opportunities to reduce your expenses

Scholarships recognise those whose life journey may have been challenging, as well as students who've shown outstanding academic excellence and endeavour.

A scholarship can help you realise your ambitions by paying for fees, text books and living expenses.

Realise your dream with our scholarships

Sound decision leads to working with Cirque du Soleil

Just two years after finishing his WAAPA training, Production & Design graduate Christian Peterson is now touring the world as a sound engineer with Cirque du Soleil.

After graduating, Christian worked full-time as a sound technician on festivals, concerts and theatre shows in Perth and around Australia. After scoring a gig on the Perth leg of the Cirque du Soleil show, Kooza he was offered the tour of Australia, New Zealand and Dubai with the Cirque show, Toruk.

Christian then spent several months in Montreal, Canada – where Cirque is based – designing and building the arena version of Corteo. He is currently touring North America with Corteo. Nice work we say!

Do you have any questions about the Production & Design study discipline?

Student stories

  • Mandy Rauch

    Mandy Rauch

    WAAPA Arts Management student

    Being a mature, international student, I've felt welcome from day one

    My study experience thus far has been amazing! One of the things that impresses me the most is that ECU is really committed, to being involved in your study experience as well as your personal well-being. They offer assistance in both, and I definitely feel they care about every individual student. Being a mature, international student, I've felt welcome from day one.

    I love the vibrant art scene in Perth – there are a variety of events, lots are for free.

  • Samantha Knox

    I looked around the workshop and thought 'this is exactly where I need to be'.

    Welding, sculpting, painting, drilling…it's another day for Samantha Knox in the 'funnest' place at WAAPA – the workshop.

  • Brooklyn Rowcroft

    Every day is different; nothing is ever the same.

    Every day is different for Costume student Brooklyn Rowcroft, creating outfits for actors, dancers and musical theatre at WAAPA.

The Important Things

Things you should know about if you're thinking about studying here.

Course Entry

There's more than one admission pathway into an ECU course. It depends on what you've studied already, or your work or life experience.

Fees & Scholarships

Course tuition fees can change, but we can give you an estimate of your costs. If you're eligible, a scholarship or student loan can help too.

Applying

Applying for a course is a fairly simple process, especially if you have scanned copies of qualifications, your resume or other paperwork, ready to upload.

ECU Experience

Starting a course is an exciting and sometimes daunting time, so we make a massive effort to ensure you get all the support you need to have a positive experience.