About the course

You need a diverse skill set to work as a hair and make-up artist in fast-moving sectors such as media, broadcast, film, theatre and fashion. This course gives you the creative breadth and depth to work across a wide range of industries or specialise in a particular area.

You develop your creativity, skills and techniques in areas such as fashion, prosthetics, medical simulation, character design, and period hair and make-up. The course covers make-up and hair for all ethnicities as well as the latest techniques for film and TV including 4K films. You learn with an industry-experienced team who teach at the leading edge of current product and technique developments.

Work experience and realistic tasks are part of the course so you gain the necessary skills to work on set, on location or in the studio. In addition, you collaborate with students from other courses – such as acting, photography, and film and TV production - to produce cross-course events; contribute to films, stage and photography projects; and support each other in portfolio creation and development.

Why choose this course?

• It is a natural progression for students who wish to gain a full degree after completing our Media Make-up and Character Design FdA
• Studying both fashion and media aspects of make-up and hair design gives you great flexibility in your career choices
• Learn from an expert team with a wide range of industry experience including working with the military in injury-simulation exercises, and in TV dramas and sci-fi series for the BBC and Channel 4
• Benefit from real event and production experience as well as workshops and masterclasses from visiting industry experts
• Prepare for the world of work with a course that covers self-employment; portfolio development; and how to promote yourself in a busy marketplace
• Former students have gone into fashion-shoot work; the management of a quality make-up range; and film and TV, including Netflix and Millennium FX, the production company responsible for the prosthetics for Dr Who and Torchwood

I joined the University of Bedfordshire in 2017 as Lecturer in Dance but have taught on the Acting, Performing Arts and Dance courses at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels.

Having danced in the presence of HRH Princess Margaret in my teens, I followed this with several different performing and choreography work as well as teaching in schools, specialist performing arts colleges and Lecturing/tutoring and being a Practical Teaching Supervisor for the Royal Academy of Dance – which I still do - also fulfilling the role of PGCE Programme Manager for a year.

Credits include such diverse projects as: singing on Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery TV series soundtrack; Video Games Live performances; BC Day performing arts co-ordinator in Victoria, Canada; acting with Victoria Murder Mysteries; and principal choreographer for Nutcracker in a Nutshell biannual dance performances in BC, Canada. I currently run inclusive Movement for Mental Health workshops, drawing on Dance Science, psychology and breathing and relaxation methods.

I have also choreographed, directed and musical directed a variety of Musicals from Daybreak and Oliver! to Shrek, the Musical.

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority and enjoy researching interdisciplinary arts and practical pedagogic approaches to dance.