Workshop Registration FAQ

Registration for Workshops and Tours will be open between May and June 2025.  The instructions will be sent out in an email in May 2025 with the subject line “Costume College 2025 Workshop and Tour Information”.  Deadline for Workshop/Tour Registration Forms is June 30, 2025.


We changed the names.

If you have previously attended Costume College, you will notice the "Limited" and "Unlimited" terms are no longer used to differentiate between class types. This was a deliberate change to accompany our new stream-lined registration system. To make things simpler, we will only track attendance for hands-on classes where the teacher needs a specific head-count to prepare kits in advance - these are Workshops. All other classes, where the head-count is more flexible (previously known as 'Unlimited') are now referred to as Lectures.

First up, some terminology!

Costume College offers 3 types of structured presentations: Lectures, Workshops, and Tours. Lectures are presentations given by our Costume College teachers on a variety of topics. They may include slide shows, examples, or brief demos, but they are not hands on and do not require you to bring any supplies. Lectures are open to everyone with a valid pass to Costume College for the day they occur, and capacity is only limited by the number of seats in the room. Even our most popular lectures usually have a seat or two open, so you shouldn’t have a problem attending any lectures that catch your fancy. You do not need to sign up for lectures in advance.

Workshops are classes designed to teach a particular skill and give you the opportunity for some hands-on practice. These classes are smaller so that the teacher is able to give everyone some personalized attention and help. These classes also often require advance purchase of supplies by either the teacher, the student, or both. Each workshop has a limited number of spots available, and must be signed up for during the Workshop and Tour registration process. If you do not get a space in a workshop, you may not attend it.

Tours are multi-hour field trips to costume-related locales around Los Angeles. On a tour, participants board a bus to one or more destinations, where they take tours, make purchases, and consume snacks. The buses we rent have a limited number of seats, so the tours also must be signed up for during Workshop and Tour Registration. If you do not get a spot on a Tour, you may not attend it.

We changed registration.

Workshops and Tours require advance payment! In order to secure the buses and provide the workshop supplies, the tour fees and workshop kit fees must be paid in advance, at the time of Workshop and Tour registration. Please see our refund policy for deadlines and other information on how to cancel if you are unable to attend.

Why did you make this change?

We were big fans of the completely random lottery system, but it was painful to maintain, very time-consuming, and required a level of technical expertise that was hard to find. We needed to streamline the system. We know the dependence on a timed registration open window will make life harder for students in different countries and time zones, as well as those with intermittent internet access, but the previous model was not sustainable for our volunteer organization. We hope to balance this change by making sure we have a full and compelling schedule of lecture classes.

How does the lottery work?

All students registering by May 14, 2025 will select from one of five modes of transportation on the registration form. This choice will determine your group. (The groups have limited numbers to ensure an even distribution.) IMPORTANT: THE GROUPS DO NOT YET HAVE AN ORDER. On May 15th the groups will be placed in a random order. On May 16th, you will receive an email letting you know which day your group has been assigned (i.e. which day you will be able to access the workshop registration form) along with links to the forms. Workshop and Tour registration will begin for the first group on Monday, May 19th and will open each successive day for the rest of the groups, with the final group gaining access to registration on May 25th.

Can I register for workshop classes offline or through U.S. mail?

At this time, you cannot. The only offline option will be on-site workshop registration at Costume College, but those classes will be limited to remaining seats in certain workshops where the teacher has the flexibility/supplies to handle walk-ins.

Things to remember about Workshops:

  • Workshops and Tours are not transferrable to anyone at any time.
  • There is no monitoring of workshop classes. Do not approach a teacher and ask if you can join or even sit quietly and watch a class.
  • Payment for workshops is made when you register for the class.
  • There are many, many lecture classes. Don’t forget to look at the full class list when you are making your plans.
  • We do not maintain waitlists for workshops.  If someone drops a class, that spot will open up for everyone while Workshop Registration is still open.

Additional information on how the sign-up process for workshops along with tips on scheduling can be found on the Classes-Workshop page, here. 

If you have any questions please contact Costume College Programming at [email protected]