Solihull College & University Centre recently celebrated the opening of the new ‘Aspire’ Make-Up Studio at Blossomfield Campus.
The studio was officially opened by professional Special Effects Make- up Artist Stuart Bray who has worked on huge film and TV shows including Harry Potter, Saving Private Ryan, The Mummy 1 & 2, Shaun of the Dead and Stardust. Stuart has most recently worked in the prosthetics team on the set of Game of Thrones.
The event was attended by staff, students, industry experts including Vanity Doll and suppliers including Pierre Rene and Treasure House of Makeup, who were all able to explore the new studio and experience a workshop from Stuart on injury makeup.
Hair & Media Make-Up courses were introduced at the College recently and the studio has been built as a result of the huge demand as an additional service to the Aspire offer. The studio will cater for the growing area of make-up artistry and theatrical make -up and special effects make-up , for the new provision. It will be used to enhance new skillsets in make-up artistry and creative hair designs.
College Principal John Callaghan discussed the decision to build the new studio. ‘We wondered how we could make the area buzz. We created the studio largely due to the enthusiasm from the staff. It was infectious. There is a real ‘can do’ attitude, they wanted to do this and make it happen, the staff inspired and enthused us all. This studio is a tremendous achievement for both the staff and the students’.
Students within the field will have the opportunity to use their experiences and skills to work within the professional hair and make-up industry .
The new studio can hold 24 students seated. Student Phoebe Jeyes, 18 was Stuart’s model as he talked the audience through a crash course in injury makeup. Phoebe commented ‘On our course we have to find our own clients which daunted us at first but now I really love it. If you’re really motivated this is the course for you’.
Stuart adds, ‘it’s important in courses like this to be motivated. To work in this industry you need to be that capable, responsible person that a client wants to hire. People sometimes have a lack of inspiration but if you are interested in it and inspired by it then the success is achievable. Hopefully this new studio can assist with that inspiration’.
Student Monique McKail, 19 attended the event, ‘the new facilities are amazing. They will help us even more on this course. We really enjoy it. Our teacher never lets us give up on ourselves, she taught us to never quit, she’s so motivated and she motivates us.’
Phoebe and Monique’s tutor, Level 3 Theatrical and Media Makeup course leader Maria Manoocheri is excited to put the new studio to the test, ‘to have the new facilities is so beneficial to our students and staff and has enabled us to train the students in the best professional environment possible’.
The courses on offer have led to massive growth in the area and a HNC programme is on the horizon for September 2019.
Find out more about Solihull College & University Centre’s Hair & Media Make-Up courses.
