Sgil Cymru’s first trainee for Stepping Up 2017 was Hanna Lewis-Jones.
Prior to gaining her place on Stepping Up Hanna had been working as a Hair and Make-up Trainee on a variety of productions. Her CV includes theatre show ‘Les Miserables’ at the Wales Millennium Centre, the feature-length drama film ‘Their Finest’, featuring Sam Claflin and Gemma Arterton, and the 2016 remake of the 1980’s horror film, ‘Watcher in the Woods’.
As part of her Stepping Up programme, Hanna worked on the first series of the BBC Wales and S4C Drama ‘Keeping Faith/Un Bore Mercher’. Working under esteemed Hair and Make-up Designer Claire Pritchard-Jones, Hanna developed many new skills including script and character breakdowns within the first few days, as well as gaining confidence in her new role.
Claire said:
Stepping Up has been a great help for ‘Keeping Faith/Un Bore Mercher’ to be able to continue Hanna’s training from Trainee to Junior Make-up Assistant. She’s extremely talented and this is such a difficult area to get a start in. We couldn’t have done it without Sgil Cymru’s help.
Hanna said:
Every day is different – which is what keeps it interesting. Whilst some days require me to be on set, looking after assigned main cast and sometimes supporting artists; other days may involve the planning and preparation for the upcoming days/weeks – setting wigs, filling prosthetic moulds, organising and replenishing stock etc.
The ability to ‘step up’ has been crucial in bridging the gap between trainee and junior positions. I’m really grateful to now have the experience of working on a 6 month BBC/S4C drama from start to finish, developing my skills and allowing me to become more qualified in this new role – I’m excited about the opportunities that may now come my way.