BA (Hons) courses
Make-up for Media and Performance
Spectacular make-up and dramatic special effects can transform a production. Recent graduates have gone on to work on Coronation Street, Pirates of the Caribbean, PAN, Cinderella and James Bond.
Course Info
What you'll study
Our BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance course gives you the skills you need to play a key creative role in performance, fashion, film or television. The make-up artist is an important member of any production team and you’ll work with students studying acting, film production, costume and fashion to create ‘live’ collaborative projects.
You can also download the programme specification.
What students are doing
Ready to be inspired? Browse our gallery of student work to see some of the projects that our current students have been working on.
Students studying this course achieve great things and have won prestigious and high profile awards, such as:
- Illamasqua ‘Distinction in Make-up Artistry’: Finalist
- Warpaint Make-up Championship, London: Winner
- National Make-up Awards: Winner
- Brush Wars Fashion Make-up Competition: 2nd place
- ‘The Art of Bodypainting’, Olympia
Studios and Resources
AUB has three state-of-the-art make-up studios, which provide a realistic, professional and comfortable working environment. Formally opened by Nick Dudman himself, our makeup studios offer large flexible spaces for lectures, demonstrations, and practical workshops for all creative make-up and hair work.
A window into our community...
A beautiful example of postiche and wig work from graduate Chris Suckow. #lacewigs #refront #fantasy #makeup #bodypaint ...
A film still from Hannah Gaite’s third year work: wig and prosthetic make-up design. #wigs #lacewigs #creative #makeup...
Congratulations to our Level 4’s for completing their first unit where they produced a ‘Spectacular and Dramatic’ ...
Staff on the course
Our team are specialists in disciplines that span the industry. You can read more about their experience by browsing their staff profiles below.
Sara Taylor
Theatre Design - Make-up, Post Grad Certificate in Higher Education, Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.
Sara’s professional career started as an assistant in the Wigs and Make-up Department at The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Upon Avon. Sara became Head of Wigs and Make-Up for the RSC Regional tours which gave her extensive knowledge of touring theatre as well as the opportunity to travel the world. Her passion for touring continued until she became head of department as Wig Mistress on the busy production of ‘Crazy for You’!’ in London’s Prince Edward...
Full profileWhat Graduates are doing
Successful completion of this course means you’ll have acquired the accomplished, discipline-specific and transferable skills needed in order to enter a highly competitive and sometimes unpredictable makeup industry, which requires graduates with a robust work ethic.
Previous graduates have gained employment on the following projects:
- Films Maleficent 2 (2019), Star Wars: Episode 8 (2018), Fantastic Beasts the crime of Grindelwald (2018), Redcon1 (2018), Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Mummy (2017), Star Wars: Rogue One (2016), Spectre (2015), Cinderella (2015), Pan (2015), War Machine (2014)
- Television Carnival Row (Amazon), Coronation Street (ITV), Relik (BBC), The Durrells (ITV), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (BBC), The Secret (ITV), Little Boy Blue (ITV), Three Girls (BBC), Casualty (BBC), The Keith and Paddy Picture Show (ITV), Episodes (Ch4)
- Fashion Promotion and Editorial MAC cosmetics, Charlotte Tilbury, Illamasqua, Bobbi Brown and London Fashion Week
- Theatre Wig Department and Wig makers English National Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company, Miss Saigon, 42nd Street, Hairspray, La Cage aux Folles, Cabaret, Mary Poppins, Hairspray, Shrek The Musical, Mamma Mia, Dirty Dancing, Peter Owen Wigs, Welsh National Opera and The Wig Store
- Prosthetic makers, designers, wax works Mark Coulier, Millennium FX, Kristyan Mallett Make-up Effects, Altered States FX, KMFX, Harry Potter Studio Tour and Madame Tussauds
Your Interview and Portfolio
If you meet our entry requirements, we’ll invite you for an interview and we ask you to bring your portfolio with you. We’ll be looking to see and to talk about your creative work and your career aspirations in makeup for media and performance. You can download our portfolio guidelines for BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance to help you prepare.
Studying at AUB
- Read more about learning and teaching at AUB and when you will receive your timetable here
- Find out about accommodation
- Read about managing your money as a student and find out more about any course costs
- Read our Admissions Policy
Our Careers and Employability Service is dedicated to supporting you in turning your creativity into a great career. You can read more about this here.
News
BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance Alumna Flora Davies
Since graduating from BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance at AUB in 2017 Flora Davies has worked in both TV and theatre
Read more
BAFTA Winning Prosthetic Makeup Designer Kristyan Mallett visits AUB
BA (Hons) Makeup for Media and Performance, were delighted to welcome BAFTA winning special effects makeup artist Kristyan Mallett for a one off seminar. Kriystan has had an extremely successful career with credits including, “The Theory of...
Read more
Make-up student secures job on the set of Coronation Street
Final year BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance, Natalie Allan, has secured a job working on the set of ITV's Coronation Street. Natalie beat over 500 applicants to the post of Make-up Trainee, and will start her new role in...
Read more
