Grant awarded to: Morgan Jones
Ymddiried’s Contribution: £5,000
I would like to begin by saying the biggest thank you to Ymddiried for giving me a £5,000 grant towards my professional training in hair and makeup! This generous support helped me to undertake The Advanced Complete Makeup Artist course at the prestigious Delamar Academy of Makeup and Hair, based in London. The funding was amazing, helping with the significant costs of tuition, accommodation, and travel, ultimately allowing me to pursue a career path that I am deeply passionate about.
The impact of this course on my career has been transformative. Since completing my studies, I have successfully gained employment through Delamar Academy and tutors who recommended me for professional opportunities, as well as my own networking.
Although much of my current work is under strict non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), especially in television and film, I can share some of the productions to which I have been able to contribute:
- Strictly Come Dancing: working on contestants and performers for live broadcasts.
- London Fashion Week: contributing to runway looks for multiple designers.
- BBC Wales and S4C: assisting on several television projects filmed near my home town.
- Apple TV, Netflix, BBC England, BBC Scotland productions: supporting makeup and hair departments on set for international streaming content.
- Major brand shoot and video campaigns: contributing to advertising and commercial shoots for well-known global companies, such as TK Maxx and First Aid Beauty.
These experiences have allowed me to build a strong professional network and develop my portfolio across different sectors of the industry, from beauty and editorial work to large-scale television and cinematic productions. Most importantly, they have given me the confidence to see myself as a working professional artist, not just a graduate. Every opportunity I’ve had since completing the course stems directly from the education and connections that Ymddiried’s funding helped make possible.
My long-term goal is to continue developing as a hair and makeup artist within film, television, and fashion. I’m currently expanding my professional kit and portfolio and continuing to network with industry professionals I’ve met through my recent jobs. I also hope to give something back to the Welsh creative community by working on more productions based in Wales, mentoring aspiring artists, and promoting pathways into the industry for others who might not believe such opportunities are possible. In this way, the investment Ymddiried made in me will continue to spread as I want to help others from similar backgrounds find their way into this field. Thank you for helping me take this extraordinary step in my life.
