This month we chat to the wonderful London College of Fashion (LCF) Performance Technicians; Hannah, Dean, and Franky. They’re part of the team who teach the ‘how’ rather than the ‘why’ when you’re studying; and they all also happen to all be alumni of LCF, which means they completely understand the pressures students are under!
Hannah Dinmore is the Technical Coordinator: Performance; she studied BA (Hons) BA (Hons) Hair, Makeup & Prosthetics, LCF, 2000. Dean Kincaid is the Specialist Technician: Technical Effects, and studied BA (Hons) 3Dfx for Performance & Fashion, LCF, 1999. Franky Lehmeier is the Specialist Technician: Hair & Make-up for Performance, and she studied BA (Hons) Hair, Makeup & Prosthetics, LCF, 2003.
What did you do after graduating?
Hannah: My main background is in Fashion, but straight after graduating I worked in film and theatre, as well as at the Opera House. I also met one of my best friends through work; I made friends with them in a bar, they were a make-up artist and I became their PA for 3 years!
Dean: When I graduated in 1998 I went straight into employment with a Props company called Robert Allsop and Associates based in Croydon. I was a self-employed and a full-time prop maker. I was then approached by the college to come back and Teach part time which I did.
Franky: I was a make-up artist for 5 years after graduating, coming back to teach at LCF in XXX. I have since gone on to study an MA in Teaching & Learning (even though I hate writing); having done an MA, it makes me appreciate how hard the writing is for our students, and I’m now considering doing a PhD.
What are your favourite things about working at LCF?
Hannah: Having studied at UAL, we know the pressures the students are under. I also think it’s a really privileged position, as we don’t mark or assess work, so the students are more likely to be honest and open with us; there’s a lot of trust.
Dean: Having the pleasure of working with some of the most talented people from industry who never stop to amaze me with their inspiration talent and diversity. Also, the incredible students who come from all walks of life and bring fun excitement and expertise I feel I’m learning new things every day! Every day is a challenge in a good way so many different projects and different learning outcomes.
Franky: we’re at the very heart of the student experience!
What is it like day-to-day in the studios?
Hannah: It can feel like a balancing act, as we are encouraging the students to push themselves and to get it wrong, something which can feel unnatural for them.
Can you tell us something that people might not know about Lime Grove?
Dean: The Lime Grove site has always been a college and is a beautiful Arts And Crafts building, opposite to what was once the BBC Centre. Lime Grove Studios was a film, and later television, studio complex in Shepherd's Bush, built in 1915, and when it first opened was described as "the finest studio in Great Britain and the first building ever put up in this country solely for the production of films”. In 1949, the complex was purchased by the BBC, who used it for television broadcasts until 1991. It was demolished in 1993.
If you miss being in the LCF workshops, then don't worry; you can follow the team on Instagram!
Banner image: students at work in the 3D workshop at Lime Grove.