Meet The Tutors behind IMA
At The Iver Makeup Academy, students are taught by working professionals who are actively shaping the film, television, theatre, fashion and SFX industries today. Rather than learning from retired industry figures or purely academic lecturers, students train with artists who continue to work on major productions across the UK and internationally.
This industry-led approach is one of the key reasons the Academy is recognised as one of the leading makeup schools for film and television training.
Based at Pinewood Studios, The Iver Makeup Academy gives students access to tutors whose experience spans blockbuster films, award-winning television, theatre, fashion editorials and high-profile commercial work. Every tutor brings current, practical industry knowledge into the studio from on-set etiquette and continuity to the latest techniques being used in productions today.
A Teaching Team With Award-Winning Industry Experience
The teaching and guest tutor team at The Iver Makeup Academy collectively represents some of the highest levels of recognition in the film, television and theatre industries.
Across the group, their achievements include:
- Academy Award-winning makeup design
- Academy Award nominations
- BAFTA wins and multiple BAFTA nominations
- Primetime Emmy nominations
- Guild Award nominations across film and television makeup and hair
- Extensive recognition from leading international industry bodies
Most importantly, these accolades are not historical footnotes they reflect tutors who are still actively contributing to award-calibre productions today.
For example, Peter Swords King is an Academy Award-winning makeup designer for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, while artists such as Donald Mowat have received Academy Award nominations for their work on major contemporary films including Dune. Many other members of the teaching and guest tutor team have received BAFTA and Emmy recognition for their work across film and high-end television.
This depth of recognition means students are learning from professionals who are consistently working at the highest level of the industry, not simply referencing it.
When tutors teach techniques or discuss production culture, they are drawing directly from recent, real-world experience on award-level productions ensuring that what students learn is current, relevant and industry-ready.
The tutors featured in this blog represent only a selection of the wider teaching team at The Iver Makeup Academy.
Alongside these core educators and guest artists, the Academy works with a much larger network of active industry professionals across film, television, theatre and special effects makeup. Each brings specialist knowledge from their own area of the industry, ensuring students are exposed to a wide range of techniques, styles and production environments throughout their training.
This is not a fixed or exhaustive list, but a snapshot of the calibre and diversity of professionals involved in delivering training at The Iver Makeup Academy.
To view the full teaching team, visit our “Meet the Experts” page.
Liz Tagg – Principal
Liz Tagg is a BAFTA and Emmy nominated makeup and hair designer with over 40 years of experience across film, television and theatre.
Her career includes work on major productions such as Saving Private Ryan, The Terminal ,Band of Brothers, The Golden Compass, Dark Shadows, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice Through the Looking Glass alongside extensive commercial and editorial projects with leading actors and directors.
Liz continues to lead creative direction at the Academy, ensuring training reflects current industry standards and professional expectations.
Tamsin Barbosa – Vice Principal & Co-Founder
Tamsin Barbosa has over 35 years of experience in film and television makeup and hair design, working across major British and Hollywood productions.
Her credits include Mary Poppins Returns, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. She has worked with actors including Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Dame Judi Dench, Daniel Craig and Daisy Ridley.
Tamsin remains actively involved in production work alongside teaching, bringing current set experience into the classroom.
Joceline Andrews
Joceline Andrews is a highly respected makeup and hair artist known for her work across film and television, particularly in period drama and character transformation.
Her credits include The Crown, The Odessey, Downton Abbey, Dunkirk, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Dark Knight and Into the Woods. She began her career in theatre before moving into major film productions.
Alongside her production work, she has over 15 years of teaching experience, helping students develop both technical precision and professional discipline.
Renata Gilbert
Renata Gilbert is a highly skilled makeup artist working primarily across film and special effects makeup departments, with extensive experience in both beauty-driven screen work and practical SFX applications.
Her credits include major studio productions such as Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and Nuremberg, where she has contributed to high-level makeup departments operating within large-scale feature film environments.
Renata’s work focuses on supporting character creation through both beauty and effects makeup, adapting her skillset to the demands of production-led briefs, continuity requirements and complex on-set conditions. Her teaching brings students a clear understanding of how SFX and screen makeup operate within professional film crews, from prep through to shooting days.
Christine Vidler
Christine Vidler works across film and high-end television productions in both contemporary and period settings.
Her experience includes continuity-led work, character development and supporting long-form narrative production environments within professional screen departments.
Stuart Bray
Stuart Bray is internationally recognised for his work in prosthetics and special effects makeup as well as his podcast ‘Battles with Bits of Rubber’.
His credits include Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, A Quiet Place: Day One, Prometheus, Primate,World War Z and Doctor Who. He specialises in creature design, lifecasting and advanced prosthetic application.
Sarah Jane-Pucci
Sarah Jane Pucci has worked across film and television production environments within makeup and hair departments as well as theatre.
Some of her credits include Supergirl , Ahsoka, Wicked, National Theatre Live: Dear England, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Bridgerton, The Imitation Game.
Sarah Jane supports on-set continuity, character preparation and day-to-day shooting requirements across professional screen projects.
Cherelle Lazarus
Cherelle Lazarus is a deep skin educator whose work explores how colour behaves across a wide spectrum of skin tones in professional makeup practice. Her teaching focuses on undertone correction, product performance and how skin depth interacts with lighting and camera systems in film, television and editorial work.
Her work spans beauty and media industries, focusing on representation, technical skill and preparing students to work across diverse skin tones.
Siân Miller
Sian Miller is a BAFTA-nominated Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics Designer with over 30 years of experience in film and television.
Her credits include Wurthering Heights, Saltburn and Cyrano, for which she received BAFTA recognition for Best Make-Up and Hair, alongside work on major productions such as The French Dispatch and Eternals.
She is known for her work across high-end film, specialising in character-led design and period and contemporary screen makeup.
Guest Tutors & Industry Mentors
The Academy also regularly welcomes world-leading guest tutors who deliver specialist workshops and demonstrations based on real production experience.
Donald Mowat
Donald Mowat is an internationally acclaimed makeup artist whose credits include Dune, Blade Runner 2049, Sicario and No Time to Die. His work focuses on character-driven realism and cinematic storytelling through makeup.
Paul Gooch
Paul Gooch is a BAFTA-winning makeup designer whose credits include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Cruella.
Jan Sewell
Jan Sewell is known for Paddington, Paddington 2 and The Theory of Everything, with a focus on naturalistic beauty and period authenticity.
Erika Ökvist
Erika Ökvist works across international film and television productions, specialising in natural beauty and continuity-led makeup. Some of Erika’s credits include Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, Until dawn, Bait, Taboo.
Nicola Buck
Nicola Buck has worked across major British film and television productions, with experience in period styling and character-led design. Some of her credits include Jurassic World: Rebirth, The Marvels, Barbie, The Rings of Power, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, Les Misérables.
Peter Swords King
Peter Swords King is an Academy Award-winning makeup artist best known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, recognised for large-scale fantasy and prosthetic design.
Training Designed for Real Industry Careers
The Iver Makeup Academy is built around preparing students for real careers in film, television, theatre and fashion. Every tutor contributes active, current industry experience, ensuring students graduate with both technical skill and professional understanding.
By learning directly from working artists, students are not just trained they are prepared for the realities of the industry they are entering.
If you’re ready to learn from award-winning professionals and take the first step towards a career in makeup artistry, explore The Iver Makeup Academy’s courses and begin your journey today.
