Theatrical, Special Effects & Hair & Media Make-Up VRQ Diploma

Introduction

This intensive course will enable you to develop the essential skills needed for a career in specialist make-up and hair.

We have plenty of professional suppliers delivering in-house, bespoke training on latest products and equipment, like PAM and Mistair. This is boosted by employers and salon owners giving demonstrations and talks on making it in the sector. You'll get plenty of work experience in our commercial salon and we also run trade tests for employers, in fact many of our previous students have moved to full-time and part-time work after this.

Our students have done plenty of work outside the College providing onsite make-up styling and last year this included Heathrow, fashion shows and major cosmetic houses. It's a great way to improve your customer experience training and boost your practical skills. You should expect to be a part of this CV-improving work.

We run several internal competitions including the London Masters where we invite other London colleges in so that you compete against your peers - the judges are normally employers and industry specialists. There are also local and national competitions that you'll get involved with, including the prestigious WorldSkills which our students have entered several years in a row. It's a great way to learn and to be exposed to new experiences.

With our masterclasses throughout the year, you'll have the chance to build your skills and experience on top of your normal classes. This is your chance to pick up all the latest salon trends and make sure you're work-ready when you graduate.

As well as daytime lessons you'll need to come into College one evening a week or on a Saturday. You'll study the following subjects:

Media and special effects make-up
Camouflage make-up
Fashion and photo make-up
Prosthetics
Creative and avant-garde hair styling
Air brush make-up
Face and body art, including henna and body tattoos
Fantasy hair designs.

Assessment

Continuous assessment of your practical skills when you work on clients. There may be some written assignments and online tests. You'll also build a portfolio of your work.

Next Steps

You could go on to short courses in media make-up or a HND in specialist make-up and hair. Alternatively you could go into employment in hair salons, as a makeover demonstrator, or in TV or media as a trainee make-up artist.