Bectu publishes guidance on hair and makeup for global majority performers
Bectu has published new guidance which aims to ensure that ethnic minority actors receive the same quality of service with their hair and makeup as that provided for their white colleagues.
The union’s hair, makeup & prosthetics branch, which represents almost 1,000 professional hair and makeup artists working in film and television, has produced Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics: essential skills requirements for working with textured hair and darker skin tones in response to the long-running issues raised by ethnic minority actors about their hair and makeup on film and television productions.
Organisations endorsing the document include the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority, which sets the National Occupational Standards for hair and beauty, along with the Hair and Barber Council and the British Beauty Council.
The origin of the problem was the failure of training bodies to include textured hair and makeup for darker skin tones in the core curriculum, which meant that it was either an optional extra or not provided at all. This has led to many people qualifying as professional hair and makeup artists but able to provide services only for white people.
The document sets out precisely what the basic skills are in the categories of makeup and hair care, and CPD skills in makeup, hairdressing and barbering. It also sets out lists of prominent training providers in these skills. It will enable actors and their agents to show producers precisely what they mean when they are asking for assurances on the quality of hair and makeup provided to their clients. It will enable producers and production managers to be crystal clear when they ask the hair and makeup designers and supervisors to ensure that their department has the necessary skills. And it will help designers and supervisors themselves when they are hiring the crew for their department. It will be freely available for everyone to use.
Philippa Childs, Head of Bectu, said:
“This is really important work from our hair, makeup & prosthetics branch to address what has been a long-running and unacceptable problem.
“This Essential Skills document sets out exactly the skills that film and TV hair and makeup departments need to ensure that everyone receives the same quality service on set. It is now up to productions to ensure they provide them.
“Bectu previously set up training courses on working with textured hair and makeup for darker skin tones, which demonstrated both the need for and demand to learn these skills. We are determined to ensure that every hair and makeup department has them as an important step forward in driving greater diversity and inclusion in the industry.”
Deb Kenton, Bafta-nominated hair and makeup designer and Chair of Bectu’s Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics Branch, said:
“I am thrilled that this document, created by Bectu’s hair, make-up and prosthetics branch, is now being launched. We hope it will help hair, make up and prosthetic artists as well as producers and performers to understand and unify expectations in this field.
“We are also working on releasing to our members a short selection of videos to help understand the basic skills requirements set out in this document.
“We are hopeful that, if followed, this document can eradicate the skills deficit in the industry regarding textured hair and darker skin tones once and for all.”
Fola Evans-Akingbola (Actress and Co-director of Untold Stories: Hair on Set) commented:
“Training and education are essential to achieving hair and makeup equality in the industry. The Bectu essential skills guide is an exciting step forward that will help us all get on the same page about the knowledge gaps that need to be filled.”
Joan Scott, CEO of the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority, commented:
“We welcome and endorse this new strategy from Bectu. The document clearly outlines what is expected from hair and makeup artists across the creative industries, so they can meet the needs of all performers. The strategy mentions global majority – curriculum delivery needs to be inclusive, preparing learners to be able to serve all hair types and skin tones, so there isn’t discrimination, and the pipeline of talent coming into the sector can competently work on everybody”.
Victoria Brownlie, Chief of Policy & Sustainability at the British Beauty Council, said:
“For decades, the beauty industry has strived to build a reputation for creating a safe and open space for people of all characteristics to express their true selves as a celebration of all that makes us unique. However, the reality is that the Global Majority remain inadequately catered for when it comes to the skillset of hair and beauty professionals and product accessibility.
“This became evident last year, when the British Beauty Council took a deep dive into true inclusivity across our industry in our largest ever census: ‘a beauty industry that looks like you’. The findings of the census and subsequent recommendations identified significant work to be done. We are therefore delighted to support Bectu in their work to educate professionals and workplaces in bridging skills gaps within the industry and rightly offer the proper provision of high-quality service to Global Majority professionals across the creative industry.”
Gareth Penn, Registrar and CEO of the Hair & Barber Council, commented:
“There is no place for discrimination in hairdressing and the Hair & Barber Council support the work Bectu is doing to highlight this issue and produce guidelines so that those working in the creative arts are treated equally.”
The guidance has also been welcomed by the actors’ union Equity and by actors themselves.
Cathy Sweet, Head of Film & Television at the actors’ union Equity, said:
“For too long, Global Majority performers have been made to feel that skilled and tailored hair and make-up provision is too much to ask of engagers. Equity is pleased to see this guide from Bectu set out exactly the skills needed to provide hair and make-up for Global Majority performers at the highest standard, which will be vital resource for both hair and make-up artists and producers.
“Meanwhile, Equity is seeking to strengthen the commitment from engagers on this issue in all our collective agreements. We will continue to hold engagers to account where they are failing to deliver hair and make-up equality.”