Chelsey Mallett

My career within the hair and make-up industry began when I pursued an Apprenticeship in Hairdressing NVQ Level 2, which later developed to studying BA (Hons) Specialist Hair and Media Make-up at University College Birmingham. During my second year of study at the University, I set up a freelance business specialising in bridal hairstyling and airbrush make-up, as well as working on various film and TV sets to build industry experience. On graduating from University College Birmingham with a first class honours in 2015, I was offered a Graduate Teaching Assistant position. This was the start of my journey at UCB and I have since had the privilege of undertaking Lecturer, Senior lecturer, Deputy Head of Department and Head of Department roles.

As Head of Department for Creative Industries, I am responsible for providing strategic vision and leadership to a dynamic team of educators, guiding them in curriculum development, innovative teaching methodologies and fostering an environment that nurtures creativity and critical thinking. I play a key role in forging industry partnerships, ensuring that our programmes align with the ever-evolving demands of the creative industries.

Throughout my employment, I have been fortunate to continue freelancing which has allowed me to work as part of the hair and make-up department on feature films and TV series including The Shamrock Spitfire, Last Respects (featuring Peter Andre), Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One and more recently, Bridgerton and BBC's Sister Boniface.

Within my current role, I continue to engage in teaching responsibilities which consist of teaching on a variety of theory and practical modules at Level 5, 6 and 7. I am the module leader for The Fundamentals of Postiche Design and Final Major Project, and supervise students studying this module at Level 6.

MA dissertation: An Investigation into the Advantages and Disadvantages Associated with Blended Learning Pedagogy in a Higher Education Context: A Case Study of University College Birmingham

I actively maintain a hands-on presence within the TV, film and bridal sectors as a dedicated hair and make-up artist to ensure that my knowledge and skills remain current and relevant. This has enabled me to contribute significantly to curriculum development whilst also bridging the gap between academia and the industry.