“ The changing environment”
In the performing arts industry health and safety is absolutely crucial. This is in all areas such as, makeup artist, hairdresser, lighting designer, set builder etc.. Within the performance arts industry there are a lot of things that can be dangerous, for example a makeup artist can work with very strong and hazardous substances and the light crew are working with electrical devices so this is why health and safety regulations are put in place.
In any industry you go into, risk assessments will be put into place to ensure that you have a safe environment to work in. Risk assessments are used to ensure safety in any jobs you take on to keep employers from harm, especially those who are more vulnerable such as pregnant women, children and people with disabilities and special needs. This is something that needs to be reinstated every time you have new employers and when you have new equipment in the workplace. For health and safety there are many regulations that all companies have to abide by such as the workplace (health, safety and welfare) regulations which is to do with the requirements of how a workplace should be, be it temperature, ventilation and working in hot/cold areas for the clients and employees health. As well as cleanliness, lighting and room that would be acceptable for an employee to carry out their job. From a makeup perspective it would require my own space to be comfortable and do my job well with the client, as well as adequate lighting to find the right shades and contrasts that would create the look I require. Also the same instance would be made for myself and my client to be comfortable and for it to be the right temperatures in the heat or cold. The workplace regulations cover all bases to make sure that every client and employee is safe and can work to the best of their ability by covering and regulating requirements of a workplace.
Health and safety for different jobs in the industry:
Makeup artist
For safety a makeup artist will make employees aware of what could go wrong if the equipment is not set out properly and the potential harm it could cause to themselves or others. As a makeup artist it is your job to do a risk assessment for your models to ensure that your products are safe to be applied onto their skin.
with different products there are different hazards so it is also important to risk asses these as well as your models /clientele.
If there were any infectious conditions from a client it should be made aware to the artist so that they could carry out a contraindication form before carrying out a treatment. Contraindications are things that can prevent or even completely stop you from performing a treatment on a client.
This could include things such as bacterial infections, allergies to your products, eye diseases such as conjunctivitis. For hygiene purposes it is essential to prevent any cross contamination by Washing your hands before you begin and having a disinfectant with you so that you can sterilise any of the equipment or brushes you will be using and should not be shared. To ensure this, all makeup brushes and tools should be cleaned and sterilized between each client. Due to recent events such as COVID-19 some companies may require you to wear a face mask to protect yourself and others from droplets from coughing and sneezing, and i'm some cases they may require you to wear extra covering such as both a face shield, a face mask and gloves ( make sure you client isn't allergic to latex before wearing latex gloves).
Hairdresser
Within working in hairdressing there are many different types of hazards. Such as substance abuse which is more common than you may think. This could happen due to things such as aerosols being overly used then inhaled by you or your client. You could in rare cases receive asthma from exposure from dust or vapors. Another thing that should be done however not many hairdressers do is wear gloves, the reason being if you wash a lot of hair very regularly, it is likely that you may receive demitis from being in contact with too much water, gloves will prevent this infection from occurring. When using electrical appliances it is essential to make sure that all liquids are kept away and that there is only one appliance plugged into a socket at a time as these things are all fire hazards. When working with multiple appliances make sure that the wires are neatly tucked away from the path to stop slipping or falling injuries and to only have the appliances in use turned off as it could overpower the Circuit.
Lightning designer
When working in lighting for a show there are many health and safety aspects to look into and it isn’t just electrical. For example most stage sets use stage lights which hang from the ceiling, this can be dangerous because if they are not screwed in properly they can fall and potentially kill someone as they are very heavy and in theory would be falling from a high ceiling. To prevent this frequent checks of the frames need to be put in place to make sure they are all sturdy and if not it needs to be fixed as soon as the problem is brought to attention otherwise it is not safe to use the room otherwise. Another health and safety issue will be the brightness of the lights, as the lights used in a professional scene are of a high power this means they can be at a brightness that can cause blindness if looked at for a longer duration at time, as performers will spend a fair amount of time under the lights it’s necessary to make sure the lights aren’t full brightness to protect their eyes. And lastly the biggest precaution is of course the electricity, as you will of course be working working with many lights you need to make sure they’re all connected to the appropriate source as you don’t want to over power a socket and cause an electrical fire, on top of this you need to watch out of the small wires beneath the plastic cover, they need to be completely covered and not on show and this could cause electricity to escape and can electrocute you and is another fire hazard. The electricity at work regulations is for employers and employees to require action and plans to limit the possibility and risk of someone being injured or being killed by electricity in the workplace. Within the makeup workplace there are many light fittings, small electrical machinery and plug sockets that could put people in danger, therefore making it very important for the employers to take out a full plan on how to limit the risk and probability of someone being electrocuted and seriously harmed by these factors. The main ways employers could do this is: making sure all electrical appliances and spots are constructed to avoid danger, maintenance on these electrical appliances regularly and finally carry out work using electrical appliances in a way that prevents any danger which would support this. Another regulation that would support this is P.U.W.E.R which stands for Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations and was made in 1889, this is the regulation that requires equipment at work to be suitable for its intended and safe use. It also makes sure the equipment is maintained and inspected to keep it in a safe and usable condition as well as constantly safely installed and does not deteriorate. It also puts the employers and businesses responsible for employees who use equipment, whether owned by them or not, meaning any equipment I use on clients will be responsibly looked after and maintained by myself or by my employers. It is also intended that myself and my employers make sure the equipment is safe and could not cause harm in any way.
Roles and responsibilities within the performing arts industry:
Stage manager:
managers typically provide practical and organizational support to the director, actors, designers, stage crew and technicians throughout the production process. They also are the director's representative during performances, making sure that the production runs smoothly. Stage managers have several key responsibilities and tasks to perform in each phase of a production, including: coordinating the work of the stage crew. calling cues and possibly actors' entrances during performance. overseeing the entire show each time it is performed. The role of the stage manager is especially important to the director in rehearsals. Here the director and the stage manager work side by side, with the stage manager recording the director's decisions about blocking and notes for the actors, keeping track of logistical and scheduling details and communicating what goes on in rehearsals to the rest of the team. This enables the director to concentrate his or her full attention on directing.In rehearsals the stage manager also records all blocking, plus all the light, sound and set change cues, in a master copy of the script called the prompt book. The information in the prompt book also allows the stage manager to run the technical rehearsals, calling each technical cue in turn to determine precisely how it needs to be timed to coordinate with the onstage action.
Lighting designer:
A light designer job description in the arts is to create the light plot and/or outline for the whole show. The purpose is to create lighting which will properly showcase the performers and the setting varying the design throughout the production to meet the action on stage. The lightning designer however do not manage the lights during the show. To work in this area you will need certain skills such as the willingness to work as a part of a team which requires good communication skills, it is extremely critical that you will need organisational and numerical skills so that you can manage projects and budgets. They will need to be able to pay close attention to detail and be willing to work under tigjt deadlines. They work with many people on the set, for example the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer and sound designer to get the right atmosphere from the lighting. They will have to keep in mind issues of visibility for safety reasons.
set designer:
A set designer’s job is to create the overarching look of any given set on television, in film or in the theatre. This means that the role is a slightly unique combination of creativity and practicality, as you have to conceptualise an idea, design it and then do your best to make it a reality with the team of people around you.The role is given a variety of different names depending on where you’re based. In film and TV the role is often known as a production designer, whereas in theatre, it can also be known as a stage designer. However, the same skill set is intrinsic to all three types of designer.The role is one which fits inside the planning stages of a production, starting right at the conceptual planning meeting and running through right until opening night or until filming starts. You’ll have to understand the concepts of the production you’re involved in, work with your director to make sure you’re singing from the same hymn sheet, and have a good understanding of the creative sphere.You’ll also need good delegation skills and to be a good orator, as you’ll need to convey exactly your needs to a variety of people including make-up artists, lighting and sound teams, carpenters and electricians and props technicians.
Director:
A directors job in the industry is essentially to bring their vision of the movie/play/music video to life. Of course on all of these kinds of sets there is always a vision and a plan but a director is there to put it into place and to the best of their ability make it effective in place. The director gets the final say on things from last costume checks to makeup, they are responsible for all of these aspects as they all work hand in hand. To create the correct atmosphere all of these things need to correlate otherwise everything will look out of place. To make sure they have the right people on their team for each project is is typical that a director will hold auditions to give opportunities to new people rather than consistently working with the same people. When it comes to the bigger productions there will usually be more directors on the scene to help out and bring more light to the scene, this would usually be what they call “creative directors and/or artistic directors” their job is to bring a new perspective to the vision, although there are a lot of similarities between the two jobs they bring different things to the table. A creative director is more involved with the clientele than a artistic director, the creative director will have meetings with their clients to make sure their needs/wants for the production are reachable. From doing these things they are able to map out what needs to be done in order to achieve their clients goal. They would then get in touch with different members of the team to discuss these ideas so they can be put into place, this would normally be at the start of a production. To do this job you will have to be somewhat selfless with your own ideas and very open minded to the concepts and opinions of those that you are working with. Whereas an artistic director will make final decisions on which of the artistic elements will be used in the production. Instead of clientele meetings an artistic director will do jobs such as articulate the vision over to the team that they are working to.
Circus Artist :
A circus artist's job in the industry is an entertainment role, their job is more of the extreme side of entertainment. Their performances vary from minimal work like juggling to serve acts such as fire eating and sword swallowing. Commonly most circus artists will be multi-skilled to give their performance a range of abilities to keep the crowd entertained. The average salary wage of a performer is roughly around £10,000 a year, which doesn’t seem enough to get by however if they are a touring circus they are likely to spend a lot of their time working and training so their living costs would be lower, However their wage can vary depending on the amount of experience they have and how many acts they perform in. To become a member in the circus there is no level of education that you need, however ideally if you have a background in things such as modern dance, gymnastics or generally athletic it will make the training partially easier. Most circus’ will offer you full time training to get your degree or short time/ part time introductory course. Most performers will do acts in groups of 3-5 as teamwork makes the dreamwork, however if you have been in the circus company long term it is likely that you could be promoted to a solo act. When working in the circus a lot of what you do is repetitive so most performers will learn new skills throughout their career to make their act more dangerous.
differences between employment and self employment in the industry
if you are self employed in this industry you will be considered to be a freelancer. There are pros to being self employed such as picking when you work and the type of work that you will do. You have more fre reign on the creativity that you will produce in your work as you pick jobs that are more suitable to your own specialism. Where as if you are employ under a company the jobs that you will take on will be chosen for you and will be more suited to the company themselves. one of the downsides to being a freelancer is that you aren’t always guaranteed work which can lead to financial difficulties, to keep up with a sustainable wage you need frequent work as you are paid for the jobs that you take on and not by a company. Other issues include your legal rights and responsibilities for example you are only legal protected by the terms of your contract with your clientele, so if there are things you may have missed out within this contract and something goes wrong you are personally responsible for any reprimands that may need to be put in place.
for someone who is employed under a company this is all different. They will be contracted to hours under work and will be paid under a set rate unless they are able to receive commission on their jobs. These job set out for them will be selected by the company and will suit their own brand rather than your creativity. There are many ways that someone can get work under a brand and many different jobs can have under a brand for example you could become a brand ambassador where you will create awareness for the brand and help them market their products to people such as muas. There are also ways of climb up the ladder to get getting different kinds of mua jobs, for example you could start as a counter girl and be promoted to a full time makeup artist at the counter and then promoted again to being an mua for the company and take on jobs outside of the store.
marketing activities used in the performing arts industry
over the years there have been many successful marketing activities such as body art festivals and makeup festival which have been proven very popular among all types of muas as they are very engaging with their many activities and stalls that showcases new and pre existing products. This helps promote brands to a wide variety of people who can then get into contact with them further and work with the brand in the future.
another example would be people such as ”the_wigs_and_makeup_manager” on instagram who will use their bigger social media platform to advertise their online master classes or also neil gorton who does paid private online tutorials on everything makeup. As most people will know studying a career in the arts is very expensive if you are intending to go all the way to a masters degree, this is why alot of social media mua’s will take these online master classes so they can learn the skills needed for this industry for a lower cost.
This is one example of the power of technology has had on the industry in such a short time frame. Alot of people will be self taught artists rather than a qualified one as there are so many resources available to give tutorials, advise, inspiration in this area such as youtube, tiktok and many other social media platforms. This can be very useful to some as a freelancer it isn’t often that you will be booked for a job and asked about your qualification as they look more for your skill level through your portfolio before booking you onto your job.
social media has such a big influence on today’s industry. Personality this has made a big difference in my own career because of the way i use my platform. I use my own social media as a personal portfolio for my work which has landed me a few jobs as i have been contacted via social media. I feel as though this is a good way to put your work out into the world as it is so widely used now and is a great way to get in touch with other MUA’s and brands to collaborate. it’s also a great way to keep up with current trends in the industry so you can move with the times and always be prep for what may come your way.
A lot of events are announced via social media which is always best to look out for any open vacancies needed and apply for as many as possible because a job is not always garunteed but it is always going to be a great opportunity as you will be seeing your work in a whole different light as it will be showcased in a whole new way. This is also great to add onto your online portfolio to get your name out there as an artist, and if you are lucky enough brands may invite you back to events regularly.
my marketing plan
objectives: • create a brand for myself
• have a persistent clientele
• be a full time mua
• feel successful in my career
tactics:
• be persistent with my work
• take on un paid jobs just for the experience
• communicate with other departments and build up a working relationship so you can be involved in anything upcoming
• try employment under a brand and work my way up to higher jobs in the company
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