Staff Profile

  • Laura is a Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen undergraduate degree programme at the University of Northampton. In her role as Senior Lecturer, Laura is enthusiastic about cultivating an inclusive environment and actively uses her diverse practical skillset to personalise the learning experience. Laura has worked as a freelance makeup artist across a variety of disciplines, including film, TV, fashion, and editorial sectors. Laura also worked for a leading cosmetic brand at management level, whereby she developed a strong knowledge of leading effectively, mentoring others and strategic thinking, fundamental attributes suitable for the Higher Education environment.

    Laura has worked in Higher Education as an academic for over nine years obtaining her Post Graduate Certificate in Education (2016) and Master’s in Education (2019) qualifications. During this time, Laura has expanded her knowledge of contemporary teaching and learning, research-informed approaches, and innovative practice.

    Laura has a keen interest in quality and assurance and has undertaken several external roles pertaining to this area. These roles have required Laura to thinking critically, work independently, objectively and with authority to support and influence the external landscape to produce fair assessment strategies that are relevant to the learner.

  • Laura is a Senior Lecturer for Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics for Stage and Screen and is currently Module Leader for HMP1003: Hair for Stage, Screen and In-between

     Subject specialisms include:

    • Hair and Make-up for TV and Film
    • Postiche
    • Wigs
    • Commercial Hair and Make-up
    • Editorial Hair and Makeup
  • In 2019, Laura competed her MA in Education qualification at Exeter University, specialising in Technology, Creativity and Thinking. The qualification offered Laura the opportunity to explore the uses of digital technologies to engage learners, while investigating future practices for teachers to enhance creativity and thinking skills. The qualification aided research methodologies and awareness of pedagogies surrounding creative Education. In addition, Laura developed an awareness of student engagement with digital technology and holds skills to recognise developing trends in teaching and learning, in particular within a technology enabled environment.

    Experimenting and using current technology is a keen interest of Laura’s and she recognises that the learning opportunities technology can provide the 21st century learner is exciting and dynamic.

    • Cotterill, L. (2020) Digital Dimensions, An investigation into the 21st Century digital landscape through the lense of the UK Makeup Artist. Dissertation Thesis. Exeter University.
    • Cotterill, L (2020) ‘Taking on the pandemic as a digital community’, TedxWolverhampton, 30 November. 
    • ‘Using Virtual Reality to design and build bespoke VR content’, a Learning and Teaching Conference held in September 2022 at University College Birmingham.
    • ‘Virtual Tours’ and creating digital learning opportunity’, a Learning and Teaching Conference held in September 2021 at University College Birmingham.
    • TEDx Talks (2021) Deconstruct the Digital, Paradigm to the Physical. 22 January 2021.