CITEA Committee Chair: Caroline Townsend

Caroline studied at the Wimbledon School of Art 1976 to 1978 and then went on to have a very full career in costume making.
Initially working for English National Opera, starting in the Men’s Chorus Tailoring department, gradually working her way up through to the Principle Men’s department and then the Principle Women’s department as pattern cutter and maker.

From 1983 to 1998, Caroline ran her own costume making company, as well as working for English National Opera, The Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Caroline also worked on many London West End productions such as: Les Miserable, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Beauty and the Beast. Screen and TV work included The Singing Detective, The Prince and the Pauper, and Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado about Nothing.

In 1998, Caroline came to teach at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on the BA (Hons) Theatre Practice Costume Construction course. Since then she has developed the course to keep up with the diverse practice and current trends within live performance, TV and Screen.

Caroline is currently the external examiner for the BA (Hons) Costume Construction course at South Essex College.