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Costume Designer - Children's Theatre RISE Music & Dance | Houston, TX Independent Contractor | 2026-2027 Theatre Season RISE Music & Dance is seeking a creative, organized, and dependable Costume Designer for our 2026-2027 children's theatre season. The Costume Designer will lead costume design for three productions while working closely with our Theatre Director, Assistant Theatre Director, and a dedicated Costume Assistant who will help with fittings, costume organization, inventory, laundry, preparation, and other production support. We're looking for someone who enjoys both the creative and collaborative sides of theatrical costume design and is excited to take ownership of bringing each production's characters and visual world to life. 2026-2027 Productions Jingle Jury October-December 2026 1 cast anticipated Newsies January-March 2027 Up to 3 casts anticipated Annie March-May 2027 Up to 2 casts anticipated Final cast counts are based on student enrollment. The Role The Costume Designer serves as the creative and organizational lead for costumes throughout each production.

Responsibilities include:

Developing costume concepts in collaboration with the directing team Creating and presenting costume plans and design concepts Selecting costumes from RISE's extensive existing inventory Determining which additional pieces should be purchased, constructed, or altered Conducting and overseeing student costume fittings Identifying necessary alterations and ensuring they are completed Managing costume plots and assignments across multiple casts Managing shared costume pieces between casts when appropriate Overseeing costume preparation for dress rehearsals, tech rehearsals, and performances Managing the production's costume budget in collaboration with RISE Supervising and delegating appropriate responsibilities to the Costume Assistant Ensuring costumes are performance-ready by each production's dress rehearsal Attending required production meetings, fittings, dress rehearsals, tech rehearsals, performances, and costume strikes Costume construction, sewing, alterations, sourcing, and other preparation work may generally be completed offsite and on a flexible schedule, provided production deadlines are met. Dedicated Costume Assistant The Costume Designer will not be expected to manage every costume-related task alone. RISE provides a dedicated Costume Assistant to help with the logistical, administrative, and hands-on work involved in managing costumes throughout each production. The Costume Assistant can support the designer with: Pulling costumes from RISE inventory Taking and recording student measurements Assisting with fittings and documenting fitting notes Labeling and organizing costumes by performer, character, and cast Maintaining costume racks and dressing areas Updating costume tracking documents Preparing costumes for fittings, rehearsals, and performances Steaming, laundry, and basic costume care Tracking shared costume pieces between casts Backstage wardrobe assistance Basic repairs and alterations when appropriate Post-production sorting and inventory Returning costume pieces to their proper storage locations The Costume Designer will direct the Costume Assistant's priorities while retaining overall creative and organizational responsibility for the costume department. Compensation This is a project-based independent contractor position . Compensation is determined by the number of casts produced: 1-

Cast Production:

$2,200 2-

Cast Production:

$2,700 3-

Cast Production:

$3,200 Based on the currently anticipated season:

Jingle Jury:

$2,200

Newsies:

Up to $3,200

Annie:

Up to $2,700 Maximum 2026-2027 season compensation: $8,100 Production costume budgets are provided separately and do not come out of the Costume Designer's compensation. What We're Looking For The ideal candidate is: Creative and passionate about theatrical costume design Highly organized and detail-oriented Dependable and able to meet production deadlines Comfortable delegating tasks and working with an assistant Collaborative and receptive to input from directors Comfortable working with children and families Able to manage costumes across multiple performers and casts Comfortable with garment alterations and sewing Previous theatrical costume design, wardrobe, fashion design, garment construction, or related experience is preferred. Formal costume-design education is welcome but not required. About

RISE RISE

Music & Dance is a children's performing arts school in Houston offering theatre productions, dance classes, private music lessons, and camps. Our costume department has access to an extensive existing inventory of theatrical costumes, accessories, and wardrobe pieces. Designers are encouraged to creatively reuse existing inventory while receiving separate production budgets for additional costume needs. This is a great opportunity for a designer who wants to build theatrical design experience and portfolio work while taking creative ownership of multiple productions without being expected to handle the entire workload alone.

To Apply Please submit:

Resume Portfolio or examples of previous costume, fashion, sewing, or theatrical work, if available A brief introduction describing your relevant experience and interest in the position

Pay:

Up to $8,100.00 per year

Benefits:

Flexible schedule Application Question(s): Are you able to reliably commute to RISE Music & Dance for required in-person fittings, rehearsals, performances, and production dates? Do you have experience with sewing, garment construction, alterations, theatrical costuming, or wardrobe work? Please briefly describe your experience with costume design, theatrical wardrobe, fashion design, sewing, or garment construction. This position requires managing costumes and deadlines across multiple casts while supervising a Costume Assistant. Please briefly describe how you stay organized when managing a project with many pieces and deadlines. Are you comfortable with the advertised project-based compensation of up to $8,100 for the 2026-2027 season, with compensation determined by the number of casts produced?

Work Location:

In person