Equitable Stage Makeup and Hair Modules

Equitable Stage Makeup and Hair Modules

Academic Year:
2021 - 2022 (June 1, 2021 through May 31, 2022)
Funding Requested:
$9,999.90
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
Overview of the Project:
Far too long traditional modes of teaching theatrical makeup within university training programs have privileged Caucasian skin tones and hair texture; however, the pandemic has afforded the Design & Production (D&P) program in the Department of Theatre & Drama, in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD) the time to examine and reflect on our own delivery of courses in stage makeup and methods of creating more equitable and inclusive delivering of training in theatrical makeup to all performance and design students. The goal of this grant is to ensure that all SMTD dance, theatre, musical theatre, and opera students are training in makeup and hair skills that reflect the diverse community in which they will be working and performing. By creating a series of online theatrical makeup module courses that train our students and performers not only how to apply makeup in the dressing room but guide them through the process of how to adjust and refine makeup for all skin and hair types in each of SMTD’s three main performance spaces we strive for a more equitable and unified way to teach stage makeup and hair to all design and performance majors, at SMTD. We evaluated lessons learned during the pandemic about leveraging a hybrid approach to course delivery content and how that can be a more powerful and equitable approach to capitalize on creating a sustainable teaching module to educate the entire department and beyond.
Final Report Fields
Project Objectives:
  • Hire nationally recognized experts to teach workshops to students in stage makeup and hair that is inclusive of all skin tones and hair textures, while utilizing a diverse kit of products.
  • Provide funds to test new makeup products in order to develop a kit that reflects our diverse community at SMTD and designed for use with filmed makeup modules.
  • Provide stipends to create focus groups to evaluate and examine initial makeup and hair workshops.
  • Disrupt the mold of the small classroom teaching model that can only reach a few students once a year by creating a film series of the workshop modules that have the capacity to train all 350 + performance majors across four disciplines in addition to the 40 design and production majors.
  • Remove the classroom size restrictions of the dress room and leverage the use of the University Production performance spaces as a teaching lab for filming, utilizing the stages.
  • Create a Canvas shell that houses the makeup and hair modules that can be used as a teaching modules for students, refresher training for faculty, and guides for our guest designers at University Productions.
Project Achievements:

To date, I have accomplished the following:

  • Conducted examination of current stage makeup and hair syllabi and department protocols with stakeholders across SMTD and University Productions
  • Tested new makeup product lines that were created for diverse skin tones
  • Engaged experts to lead “test” filming sessions that allowed for reflection and feedback
  • PI and faculty, in consultation with workshop experts, finalized course content for filming of makeup and hair modules
  • Engaged the services of makeup and hair experts to lead workshops that have been filmed
Continuation:
Yes, this project will continue beyond the grant period as the project has been accepted for development as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with the Center for Academic Innovation. The MOOC will allow for the course to reach a vast number of learners beyond SMTD and the expected launch date is January 2024.
Dissemination:
This project will become a MOOC that will be open source to anyone that wants to take the course. The filmed modules will also become part of the Stage Makeup protocols in SMTD for all performance, design, and guest artists.
Advice to your Colleagues:
My goals for this project were very ambitious and I was very fortunate to find further support through additional grants and finally the acceptance of the project as a MOOC. My advice would be not to be afraid to seek additional sources of funding if you feel you have a project that has the potential to be successful and beneficial. Having the support of an excellent Co-Investigator has proven invaluable throughout this process and taught me about the power of having a support system when embarking on a grant that spans a long time period.