Former Hurworth School student, Beth, now 21 years old, knew she wanted to work in the makeup industry, and Stockton Riverside College opened those doors for her! Beth said, “The production arts course at Stockton Riverside College stood out to me as it covered a range of topics within the industry that I knew I wanted to go into. The course included lots of practical work and I knew I would be able to build my portfolio and gain confidence with different application techniques.”
Beth told us how much she enjoyed her time at Stockton Riverside College. She said, “This was mostly due to my tutors being extremely supportive, as well as being able to build my skills through practical work. I specifically loved the topic of different eras through hair and makeup.” Beth told us that when she started the course, she had limited knowledge on what options were available to her and which of those she may have enjoyed the most. The course helped her find those answers. She said, “being able to get creative was one of the best bits about the course. I was able to experiment with different techniques, which allowed me to explore my options whilst learning new skills.”
On asking Beth if she would recommend the course to others, she said, “If you are wanting to learn about the hair and makeup industry, this course covers such a wide range of different topics from TV & Film to theatre and fashion. It allows you to discover the course that is most suitable to you and gives you a great base to build on!” Whilst Beth was studying at Stockton Riverside College, she was able to partake in the end-of-year showcase. Her class organised, and put together, a catwalk where they were able to invite friends and family to see their work. She said, “This was one of my most proud achievements and one of my favourite makeup pieces I created at college, and I really enjoyed working alongside the class to put on the show.”
Beth left Stockton Riverside College and went on to complete her level 5 and 6 in Fashion, Theatrical, Media Hair, and Makeup at Leeds City College, where she recently graduated with a First this past May. She told us how she had the opportunity to creatively direct photoshoots and how, for her final project, she was able to put together a team to create her vision. She said, “I had my final images published on the cover of a magazine. Being featured in a magazine has been a goal of mine since leaving college so it was amazing to achieve this and be on the cover!”
Since leaving university, Beth is now working as a freelance makeup artist for e-commerce, fashion, editorial as well as weddings, and special events. She is hoping to move to Manchester in the coming months to continue this. When asked about her goals for the future, Beth said, “I would love to work at London Fashion Week, applying hair and makeup for designers. In addition, having a feature in I-D or Vogue magazine!
Beth has done incredibly well for such a short amount of time in the industry and her work speaks for itself! We are all so proud of her achievements, and we are sure we’ll see her name appear in lots of future credits.
Are you interested in a career within production makeup? Beth has some words of advice for all current and future students: “This course is a fantastic opportunity to be creative and learn new hair and makeup skills. Use the time to do as much as you can and build up a portfolio!
You can check out more of Beth's work on her Instagram: @bethsmakeup
For more information regarding our Makeup for stage and screen course, click here.