Prince Edward Island will be home to Atlantic Canada's first professional makeup artistry school.
Jessica Simmonds of Charlottetown will locate the Paramita Acadamy of Makeup Inc., in the new Atlantic Technology Centre (ATC) in downtown Charlottetown, beginning October 7, 2002.
Simmonds received her Professional Makeup Artist certificate in London, England in the fall of 1999. She returned to Canada to work in Montreal and Toronto where she has built a portfolio of work with photographers in the theatre, film and music video industries.
Upon returning to the east coast in 2001 she was met with a growing film industry. "I soon realized there was a need back home for instruction in makeup artistry, and the ATC is an ideal environment for my school, because of the television and new media companies and projects that will also be located in the facility."
Paramita Academy of Makeup Inc. will offer one semester in 2002 and four in 2003. Each semester lasts eight weeks, with 200 classroom hours and can accommodate up to 12 students. There are presently five students enrolled for the first semester, including one student from Kenya.
Development and Technology Minister, Mike Currie says it is very rewarding to see how the ATC can help new entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.
"We have some very talented young people in Prince Edward Island," said Minister Currie. "One of the goals of the ATC is to provide an opportunity for our bright young minds to find work, create new products, or start their own companies, and to do it right here in Prince Edward Island."
The hands-on course prepares students for employment in the movie, film, music video, television, magazine, photography, Internet, advertising, bridal, fashion, runway, beauty and cosmetic fields. "I hope to share my passion for makeup artistry and create a doorway for graduates to work in these exciting industries," said Simmonds.
Paramita Inc. accepts enrollment from mature students who are serious about a career in makeup and no previous experience is required. Students can register online at www.paramita.ca or can write, phone or e-mail Jessica Simmonds for an application form.
Scheduled to be completed in August, ATC will feature key infrastructure including state-of-the-art office space, specialized research labs, a business incubator and smart boardrooms, as well as a world-class media production environment for television and new media projects with a sound stage, multimedia theatres, digital audio and picture editing suites, green screen and webcasting capability.
ATC is designed to stimulate new partnerships among firms seeking a competitive business environment to locate innovative applied research, new product and solution development, testing and pre-commercialization. For more information visit www.atlantictechnologycentre.ca