Wigan & Leigh College student takes first place in Greater Manchester competition

College students from across Greater Manchester went up against each other in the Greater Manchester Skills Competitions (GMCG) and Media Make-Up student, Kim Slack came away with 1^st place for Wigan & Leigh College.

Over six days, ten competitions took place, with the Hair & Beauty competitions showcased at the ‘Choices’ Skills Show at Event City in Manchester. The competition is in its fifth year and winners will go on to represent the region at national level.

Kim, who studies at the Image Centre in Leigh, impressed the judges with her special effect skills and transformed her model into ‘The Grand High Witch,’ inspired by the Roald Dahl film, ‘Witches’.

Media Make-up tutor, Gemma Betton said, “To create the piece Kim actually started from scratch and chose to cast her models face to try and make her prosthetic pieces as bespoke as possible. Kim went to great lengths to ensure that her model’s outfit and accessories finished the piece exactly to her vision.”

Kim, a former pupil of St Mary’s High School, also works in theatre productions alongside her studies and has been asked to recreate the Grand High Witch for a local theatre. She said, “I have really enjoyed my two years at Wigan & Leigh College’s Image Centre and I would definitely recommend the course to anyone who has a passion for creative make-up. Winning the title just brought together the two years of hard work and I cannot be more grateful to my tutors, especially Gemma who supported me through my time at the College.”

Throughout the bespoke course at Wigan & Leigh College, students will hone their skills in special effects, wigs and hair, fashion and photographic make–up, application of prosthetic pieces, and air brush make–up. Students will qualify as highly professional specialist make–up artists within the media industry and there is also the option to progress onto Level 4 course, with some students choosing a university degree.