A free workshop for students interested in exploring a creative career in hair, make-up and special effects.
Delivered by our Specialist Make-Up expert tutors Cynthia Simango and Caroline Olweny, this 4-hour session gives students the chance to:
- Learn directly from NIDA tutors and current students
- Create three professional looks – Glam, Sheer Beauty and SFX (cuts, bruises and scars)
- Build a small portfolio to support future study applications
Workshop Details
Location: Campbelltown Arts Centre, 1 Art Gallery Rd, Campbelltown NSW 2560
Date: Saturday 22 November
Time: 12:00 – 4:00 pm
Cost: Free
RSVP: Essential via button below
NIDA will provide all products and tools required for the workshop. Feel free to bring your own equipment if preferred, but not required.
We especially encourage First Nations students and People of Colour to attend, with support available through the Netflix Scholarship for the Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services).
We look forward to meeting you in a relaxed and fun environment.
Meet the Experts
Caroline Olweny
Caroline is a celebrated international film, fashion and celebrity make-up artist and hair stylist with a long list of credits to her name.
She began working for MAC Canada in 1992, then swapped between MAC in London and Canada until 2007. Caroline has worked on a myriad of celebrities from Usher to Jessica Mauboy and Rogue Traders as well as on film productions including The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and more recently, The Invisible Man (2020) and 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.
A Registered Nurse with over 16 years in haematology and oncology and nearly a decade as a university educator, she bridges health, culture, and creativity in everything she does.
As 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, the importance of correct products, and empowerment through knowledge. At NIDA, she teaches Curly Hair History, a course that explores the cultural roots, systemic bias, and creative expression of textured hair in film and media.
Her work challenges stereotypes, celebrates identity, and inspires professionals to approach diversity with skill, empathy, and authenticity, ensuring every story, and every curl, is seen, respected, and represented.
We are accepting applications for NIDA’s Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services) for 2026.