Saturday 15 August, 10:00am – 2:00pm

Campbelltown Arts Centre, Campbelltown NSW

NIDA is offering a FREE, hands-on workshop for students interested in exploring careers in hair, make-up and special effects for screen and media.

Led by Senior Lecturer Cynthia Simango and industry expert Caroline Olweny, a make-up artist with over 30 years of experience, this 4-hour session provides insight into studying the Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services) at NIDA.

Students will:

• Meet NIDA staff and ask questions
• Hear from industry professionals about career pathways
• Learn about applying make-up on all skin tones, including darker skin tones, through a live demonstration setting
• Experience live demonstrations in hair and make-up
• Try hands-on styling with textured and curly hair
• Explore special effects, prosthetics and character design
• Create their own character face chart

Meet the Experts

Caroline Olweny

Caroline is a celebrated international film, fashion and celebrity make-up artist and hair stylist who has worked on a myriad of celebrities from Usher to Jessica Mauboy and Rogue Traders as well as film productions including The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and more recently, I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025).

Her work has also been published in InStyle.

Cynthia Simango

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Dallas, Texas, Cynthia Simango blends global experience with grounded purpose.

As NIDA’s Senior Lecturer for the Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services and the founder of Embrace For Every Curl, one of Australia’s first haircare brands made for curly, coily, and kinky textures, Cynthia transforms personal experience into education on textured hair, and the importance of correct products.

Hero image: Photography by Robert Miniter and Julia Firak