From James Watt College to River City

Summary: A former James Watt College student is getting up-close-and-personal with the stars after bagging herself a job on River City.

A former James Watt College student is getting up-close-and-personal with the stars after bagging herself a job on River City.

Nina Blake couldn’t believe her luck when she was offered the position of trainee make-up artist on the hit BBC TV soap.

For the next few months the 22 year old will be making sure some of the biggest and best names on the show are kept perfectly in character throughout filming.

Nina, who lives in Glasgow, said: “I’m delighted to be working on such a great TV programme. I decided to apply for the job because I’ve always had an interest in working in TV or theatre. I also live nearby and knew that this was regarded as one of the best trainee jobs in Scotland.”

“When I arrived on my first day it was a bit daunting. I suppose, like any other new job, everyone knows each other and it can be quite frightening, but I’ve settled right in and am finding the whole experience really rewarding.”

“A lot of the work is very high pressure. I work in two separate locations and, as well as working with the cast members, I also do a lot of administrative work in areas such as continuity.”

“Getting to see stories far in advance of broadcast can be really interesting. At the moment we’re completing filming on Christmas and New Year scenes. It was certainly challenging getting the cast members to look festive and cold when we were in the height of a short heat-wave!”

Nina, who studied the HND make-up artistry, is one of several students who’ve used the highly regarded qualification to develop exciting careers in the field.

Make-up artistry lecturer Isobel Donald commented: “James Watt College has a rich history in providing courses tailored specifically for the make-up and beauty industries.”

“Nina is a great example of how the courses arm students with the skills required in today’s demanding world of work. The HND make-up artistry focuses heavily on TV and theatre with both practical and theoretical work.”

“We also offer a wide range of other courses at various levels focussing on areas such as hairdressing and beauty therapy.”