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Workshop Registration FAQ

Registration for Workshops and Tours will be open between April and June 2026.  The instructions will be sent by email in April 2026 with the subject line “Costume College 2026 Workshop and Tour Information”. Registration deadline for access to the workshop lottery system: April 4. Workshop registration begins: April 9-13 for lottery groups, then open to all on April 14. Workshop registration closes June 15. The last day for refunds is June 15.

 

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 streamlined registration system. To make things simpler, we will only track attendance for hands-on classes where the teacher needs a specific headcount to prepare kits in advance - these are Workshops. All other classes, where the headcount 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 all Costume College attendees for the day they occur, and capacity is limited only 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 the teacher can give everyone some personalized attention and help. These classes also often require advance purchase of supplies by either the teacher or the student. 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 have a finite 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.

How does the lottery work?

All students registering by April 4, 2026, will select from one of five lottery categories 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 April 7th the groups will be placed in a random order. On April 8th, you will receive an email confirming 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 Saturday, April 9th, and will open each successive day for the rest of the groups, with the final group gaining access to registration on April 14th.

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 the 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 transferable to anyone at any time.
  • There is no monitoring of workshop classes. Do not approach a teacher asking to join a class or even sit quietly and watch.
  • 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 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]