Creative Industries
Our Creative Industries faculty offers a variety of courses that help prepare students to stand out in their chosen fields, including art and design, computing and tech media, music and sound production, performing arts, and photography.
From budding artists and filmmakers to up-and-coming performers and software engineers, students showcase their talents across a variety of events throughout the year, culminating in a two-month city-wide creative festival – Glow.
The Creative Industries is home to our PASS (Performing Arts Studio Scotland) Theatre, as well as creative centres, including The Music Box and CRE:8. Students have access to these state-of-the-art facilities throughout their studies, providing an environment that encourages their creativity and allows their talent to flourish.
We have excellent industry links with our partners, delivering workshops, serving as panel members at our annual Creative and Tech Futures Day, offering work experience and internships, and actively recruiting our students.
What our students say...
I initially did a night class at Edinburgh College in Studio Photography and I was so impressed with the facilities and standard of teaching. The best thing about learning at Edinburgh College has been the lecturers with their passion for what they do and the support they offer, as well as all the facilities and the like-minded students I have been lucky to go through this journey with – we all support each other.Jennifer - Photography
I originally came to PASS hearing good things about the acting courses and then, over the years, moved to the dance courses feeling that I was better suited for them. I’ve had an incredible five years at PASS. It’s been hard work and I’ve had really hard times but if you’re willing to do the work it can be an amazing experience.Nichole - Performing Arts
Edinburgh College seemed to be a perfect pathway to nourish my development and forge new connections within the Art and Design community.Katherine - Art and Design
Art and Design
The School of Art and Design is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, with over 700 students. It has a strong reputation for progressing students into both degree-level study and employment in the creative industries.
Our students regularly present their art and design work in exhibitions at industry nights in venues across Edinburgh. Our graduate diploma shows have been held at The City Art Centre, The Fruitmarket Gallery, and Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.
Computing
Whether you have what it takes to code the next big app, or you are a future innovator of computer science, there is a Computing course here at Edinburgh College to suit you. You can study everything from web design to desktop support, networking and games development.
Experienced and certified lecturers teach our courses. You will be able to master the skills required for careers in digital media, 3D printing, programming, networking, robotics and games development.
Media, Music and Sound Production
Edinburgh College offers full-time, comprehensive courses in music, music business and sound production, from entry-level to degree level. Our lecturers and instrumental/vocal tutors are experts in their fields, providing you with excellent teaching in a broad range of subjects.
We welcome students from diverse musical backgrounds and provide you with exposure to a variety of experiences and possibilities within our courses. Our students perform in some of the city’s top venues, including the Usher Hall, Queen’s Hall, Voodoo Rooms, Festival Theatre, Liquid Rooms, St Andrew’s and St George’s West, Old St Paul’s, and the City of Edinburgh Methodist Church.
If you are interested in outside broadcasting, audio-visual technology, film and television, radio, digital media or photography (still and moving image), our exciting range of programmes will provide the specialist training you require.
We offer courses that include multi-camera live capture and vision mixing, scriptwriting, directing, presenting, editing, lighting and sound to prepare you for a career in television or video production.
Our teaching in radio includes presenting, interviewing techniques, sound and audio programming, newsroom operations, scripting and live streaming production. We also offer training in audiovisual technology, allowing you to gain technical expertise in cabling, camera operations, TV, studio, and location production setup, lighting, editing, multimedia sound, and track recording for broadcast. Outside Broadcast students are offered paid commercial work experience with clients such as Scottish Football, Scottish Motor Sports, Scottish Gymnastics and Scottish Social Services.
Performing Arts and Photography
Edinburgh College is home to Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS), one of the country’s largest and most respected centres for training in the Performing Arts. Whether you aspire towards a career in acting, dance, technical theatre, make-up artistry, costume production or design, PASS is a great place to kick-start your career.
Within PASS you will find a purpose-built theatre and dedicated rehearsal studios. These professional facilities make PASS the perfect place to showcase your talents. We deliver exciting performances throughout the year, giving all specialisms the chance to put their learning into practice.
We have a dedicated team of experienced lecturers who work closely with the industry to ensure our students are given the best opportunity to develop and progress.
Performing Arts Studio Scotland is proud to be an organisational member of Youth Theatre Arts Scotland (YTAS), the national development organisation and umbrella body for Scotland’s youth theatre sector. YTAS supports inspiring experiences for young people by connecting and training the people who work with them, they are a development body, that celebrates and encourages ambition, innovation and progression.
Our photography programmes cover digital capture, retouching, studio, portraiture, fashion, food, landscape, advertising, corporate, photojournalism and social. You will have opportunities to work on live industry projects as well as exhibit your work within the department and at end-of-year shows.
Creative Industries Facilities
- Film studios with infinity coving
- Music recording studios
- 96-seat auditorium at Milton Road
- 120-seat auditorium at Sighthill
- 110-seat studio theatre at Granton
- Music rehearsal rooms
- Practice booths
- AVID editing suits for TV production
- Dance studios
- Digital audio suite
- Makeup studio
GLOW Festival
From budding artists and filmmakers to up-and-coming performers and software engineers, students showcase their talents across a variety of events throughout the year, culminating in a two-month city-wide creative festival – Glow.
GLOW
Creative and Tech Futures Day
Every year the Creative Industries faculty hosts Creative and Tech Futures Day.
Come along to find out about funding and start-up advice, hear what it's like to work in the industry from professionals, and learn where to start with self-employment and how to stand out.