Several of the UK’s leading networks and industry partners have joined forces to launch a new training initiative focused on masterclasses, aimed at raising industry standards for textured hair and darker skin tones.
Textured Hair & Makeup for Deep Skin Tone Accelerator is brought to you by Dandi, a diversity and inclusion service from the team behind TriForce Creative Network and is based on the 2025 Hair & Makeup Equity Guidelines. According to Dundee, this provides a “practical and scalable solution to ensure fair and culturally appropriate style across the UK screen industry”.
In a recent study, 71% of Black, Asian and minority ethnic actors still reported that hair and makeup departments were unable to meet their needs, compromising their well-being, authenticity and production values.
The accelerator, which provides practical training, industry insight and direct access to employers, follows a pilot program in Scotland in 2025 and is supported by Prime Video Pathway, the BBC, Sky, Channel 4, ITV and Screen Alliance North. Two programs in 2026 featuring masterclasses in partnership with the Kevin Fortune Hair Styling Academy have been set up in both the north and south of England, with 10 participants per course.
“By working with such great partners, we can make a tangible difference with solutions that directly address the fundamental issues surrounding black hair and makeup. Where guidelines set standards, accelerators provide solutions. Inclusive styling is a must, not an option,” said Dandi CEO Fraser Ayre.
In 2024, Variety magazine reported that Afro hair was shockingly ignored by the British industry in terms of on-set regulations and knowledge, with many black British actors, including many major stars, arriving on set looking for the hair department without the necessary skills to handle Afro-textured hair compared to their white co-stars. Artists were often forced to arrive several hours early to do their own hair or send their own video tutorials to explain certain processes.
