Initiative Addressing Hair and Makeup Equality in U.K. Film and TV Industry Gets Backing From Networks

A number of major U.K. networks and industry partners have teamed to launch a new masterclass-focused training initiative aimed at raising industry standards when it comes to textured hair and dark skin tones.

The ‘Textured Hair & Make-up for Deep Skin-Tones Accelerator,’ comes from Dandi, the diversity and inclusion service from the team behind the TriForce Creative Network, and builds on the 2025 Hair & Make‑Up Equity Guidelines. According to Dandi, it provides a “practical, scalable solution to ensure equitable, culturally competent styling across the UK’s screen industries.”

In a recent survey, 71 % of actors from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds still reported that hair and makeup departments were unable to meet their needs, something that undermining wellbeing, authenticity and production values.

The accelerator — giving hands-on training, industry insight and direct access to employers — is backed by Prime Video Pathway, following their pilot programme in Scotland in 2025 as well as BBC, Sky, Channel 4, ITV and Screen Alliance North. Two 2026 programs, featuring masterclasses in partnership with the Kevin Fortune Hair Styling Academy, have been set for both the north and south of the U.K., with each course to recruit 10 participants.

“Working with such incredible partners, we can shift the landscape tangibly with solutions that directly address the fundamental issues surrounding Black hair and make-up. Where the guidelines set the standard, the Accelerator delivers the solution. Inclusive styling is essential, not optional,” said Dandi CEO Fraser Ayre.

In 2024, Variety reported how Afro hair had been shockingly overlooked by the U.K. industry in terms of on-set provisions and knowledge, with many Black British actors — including many majors names — turning up to shoots to find hair departments without the necessary skills to handle Afro-textured hair as compared to their white co-stars. In many cases, artists were forced to arrive hours earlier to do the hair themselves or even send over their own video tutorials to explain certain processes.