The hair and make-up artistry behind the curtain of opera

Southampton Solent University's Make-Up and Hair Design students are once again working behind the scenes at The Grange Festival, one of the UK's leading opera festivals, gaining hands-on experience alongside professional wig, hair and make-up teams.

Held over six weeks each summer at The Grange in Hampshire, the festival produces and presents three full opera productions.

Solent has built a long-standing relationship with the festival's wig, hair and make-up department, with students placed there each year to work on live productions outside of their academic programme.

Joining the team again as Deputy Wigs is Solent alumna Philipa Johnson, who first joined the festival as a work experience student four years ago.

Since graduating, Philipa has gone on to work at the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House, and across West End and touring productions, and continues to return to The Grange each year.

“The Grange was such an integral step in my career; it gave me not only the confidence and skills I rely on every day, but also a true sense of belief in myself. It was a place where I grew in ways I never expected, both personally and professionally. The support, encouragement, and experiences I gained there have stayed with me, shaping the Wiggy I am today and giving me the courage to pursue all opportunities that come my way,”says Philipa.

Lecturer in Make-Up and Hair Design, Lottie Carr, said the placement gives students an opportunity to work at a professional level while still studying.

Initiatives like this sit at the heart of Solent's Career Ready Revolution, the University's commitment to rewriting the student experience around real-world skills, industry connections and career-ready confidence.

Placements such as this give students the chance to learn by doing, working within professional production environments and building portfolios of real, industry-recognised work long before graduation.

For Make-Up and Hair Design students, that means gaining technical skills, professional contacts and first-hand experience of the pace and pressure of the industry. Find out more about Solent's Make-Up and Hair Design courses here.