February 2017
Special Hair and Media Makeup students can meet the experts
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Specialist Hair and Media Make-up students can find out about exciting career opportunities at a special employability day on Friday, February 17.
Top industry experts with a wealth of experience in the film, television, theatre and fashion industries will be on hand to provide invaluable tips and advice to Level 5 and Level 6 students.
The employability day, being held at Summer Row from 9am to 4pm, is an unmissable opportunity to gain insights from leading lights in specialist hair and media makeup. There will be workshops, panel discussions, talks and a pop-up shop featuring brands including Crown Brush, Charles Fox of Covent Garden, Neill’s Materials and PS Composites.
To take part in a workshop, showcase your skills and network with top makeup artists, please email Tsai Lovett at t.lovett@ucb.ac.uk and outline why you wish to take part.
UCB alumni Joanna Strange and Kari Roberts will be in room 707 staging demonstrations and talking about their experiences in the freelance makeup industry, competitions and social media networking.
Online registration for all the sessions will be via UCB Online on a first come/first served basis, starting from 4pm on Friday, February 10.
Meet The Experts
Helen Black
Helen, who started her career training to be a hairdresser, became head of the makeup department at Brookside and Hollyoaks. She has been involved with a variety of spin-offs, music shows and press-related material produced by Mersey Television and Lime Pictures. Her work has allowed Helen to showcase skills ranging from designing character looks to applying prosthetics and training and nurturing staff.
Alyn Waterman
Alyn has more than 26 years experience working internationally as a hair and makeup artist. His skills and talents in hair styling and makeup have led him to work with award-winning actresses and celebrities. His TV credits include work on My Mad Fat Diary, Footballers' Wives, Man Like Mobeen and Hustle, the latter two filmed in Birmingham. A member of the National Association of Screen Makeup Artists & Hairdressers (NASMAH) and BAFTA, Alyn is a regular judge for the prestigious Professional Beauty and National Makeup awards. He has contributed regularly to beauty publications and been a spokesperson for Avon, Schwarzkopf and Dermalogica. Alyn's hair and makeup studio is in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.
Andrew Whiteoak
Andrew's career spans more than 20 years, designing and creating wigs, makeup designs and hair designs for hundreds of productions at The Birmingham Rep. Many of the shows he has worked on have transferred to the West End and toured the UK and internationally. In 2015, Andrew embarked on a freelance career in theatre, movies and television. Projects have included wig and hair work on Disney's new live action Beauty and the Beast at Shepperton Studios and work on Jericho and Houdini & Doyle and the final season and Christmas special of Downton Abbey. Andrew is a certified State Registered Senior Hairdresser and committee member of NASMAH.
Karla Powell
Karla Powell is an award-winning international fashion, portrait and beauty makeup artist, working in London, Europe and the USA. She grew up in the West Midlands before relocating to London and is a brand ambassador for Crownbrush UK and MUA cosmetics. Karla's recent work includes project managing and directing campaign shoots for major brands such as Magnum and Kuoni. She has worked in a variety of different artistry styles, from commercial, film and television work to avant-garde work within theatre and body painting events. With a fan base of more than 92,000 on Instagram (@karlapowellmua) and other social media platforms, Karla inspires students and artists worldwide.
Grace Coole-Green
Grace is a makeup artist with an eye for detail who strives for perfection. Consistently producing polished work, taking time and care to achieve precision and symmetry. Since training at her local college, she has built a strong portfolio and specialises in beauty and fashion and being a regular at London Fashion week she thrives on recreating the latest trends and makeup movements.
Lisa George
Having completed A-levels and studied at Brushstrokes makeup school at Shepperton Film Studios, Lisa entered the media industry in 1998. Having worked for more than 15 years in the business, she has established herself as a respected hair and makeup artist. Lisa has worked with celebrities in the film, television and music industry including Kevin Spacey, Thandie Newton and Lily Allen to name but a few. She works on a wealth of projects including press days, TV productions and photo shoots, and with ambassadors, CEOs, sport commentators and presenters. She recruits as many as 200-plus hair and makeup artists for events.
Chloe McCall
Chloe has worked for some of the most recognised fashion houses including Chanel and Christian Dior. Since 2010, Chloe has pursued her ambition to run her own beauty business. She specialises in bridal makeup, and often has her work featured on prestigious wedding blogs and printed in glossy magazines.
Lisa Halstead
Since graduating in 2002 from London College of Fashion with a degree in hair and make up for the performing arts, Lisa has worked as a freelance hair and makeup artist in the TV and film industry on shows including Eastenders, Call The Midwife, Holby City, Harry Potter, Batman, War Horse, Bridget Jones' Baby and many more. She has covered a wide variety of work including designing commercials, main team assistant on period dramas and comedy sketch shows in front of live audience. Lisa takes immense pleasure in bringing a character to life through wigs, hair, makeup and prosthetics, and has gained a vast amount of knowledge in her chosen art.
Neil Hughes
Neil Hughes is a multi award-winning body artist and sculptural costumer. He uses make-up, prosthetics and sculptural costume on specialist performers to create striking art for public or private events and film, TV and theatre productions. Neil Hughes Productions is a world leader in providing specialist event hosts, fashion and fitness models, theatrical technicians and visual artists for events and media management. His clients have included international brands such as the BBC, Gatecrasher, Vodafone and Smirnoff, along with fashion designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Diesel and Zandra Rhodes.
Helen Smith
Helen Smith began her career as a hairdresser before joining the BBC as a makeup assistant in 1988. Known for her attention to detail and creativity, Helen rapidly rose to make up designer and worked across a vast array of primetime drama. Her credits include many period dramas, such as Martin Chuzzlewit, Mansfield Park, Ashes to Ashes, Father Brown, WPC 56 and Band of Brothers, for which as chief hair and makeup designer she was nominated for an Emmy. Helen will be demonstrating period hair and tips for working on period drama. She will be working with Lisa George, who will be offering opportunities for work experience at Goodwood Revival Festival in September 2017.
Sally Holden
Sally Holden began her career at Central Television's Birmingham studios, working on a diverse range of TV programmes. In addition to prime-time dramas, Sally worked on live television and light entertainment. Working in a fast-paced environment was good preparation for Sally's freelance career where she managed to combine a family life with working on the day-time magazine show Anne and Nick. Major celebrities, politicians and musicians of the day were all regulars in the makeup room - everyone from Margaret Thatcher to Dolly Parton were made up by Sally and her team. Sally is the makeup designer for BBC's Doctors and is responsible for the overall budget and crewing of the makeup department. She regularly runs a team of eight artists. The BBC is looking at recruiting more trainees and Sally will be an integral part of the decision-making. She will be discussing the requirements and skills needed to enter the profession.
Kristyan Mallett
Batman Returns, Gullivers Travels and the Harry Potter blockbusters are just some of the films Kristyan Mallett's company has worked on. He has more than ten years' experience as a prosthetic make-up artist and now offers a range of services including concept designs, full creature suits, fake animals and character prosthetics. His company, Kristyan Mallett Make Up Effects is highly successful and its vast portfolio of work has been obtained solely by word-of-mouth.
Peter Murtha
Peter Murtha is the founder and managing director of Optima, which provides expert support and treatment for people living with hair loss. Peter began losing his own hair at the age of 23 and spent thousands of pounds trying to find a cure. When a solution failed to materialise, he set up his own company. Today he employs 15 fully-trained hair replacement stylists and prides himself on his charitable work, particularly his links with cancer patients at Birmingham Children's Hospital.
Eva Proudman
Eva Proudman has extensive experience of the wig-making industry and currently works for Banbury Postiche in Oxfordshire. The company, which operates in both the UK and internationally, supplies wigs to salons, colleges, theatres and healthcare providers. Its specialist training courses are available throughout the UK and enable practitioners to offer the best service to clients.