Hair and Beauty Departments Awarded Prestigious Grant for Tokyo Trip

The Hair, Beauty and Barbering department at Loughborough College have secured a prestigious grant from the Turing Fund, enabling 20 students to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime educational trip to Tokyo in February 2025.

The funding, part of the UK government’s Turing Scheme, is aimed at promoting international experiences for students across the country. This grant allows the group of Hairdressing and Barbering, and Beauty students, along with their lecturers, to visit several cities in Japan, a global hub for cutting-edge fashion, beauty, and style.

The trip, to the cutting-edge capital of Japan is scheduled to take place mid-February. During their stay, students will explore Tokyo’s renowned beauty culture and participate in workshops focused on Japanese innovative hairstyling and beauty techniques. The itinerary also includes visits to the city's top beauty academies, where students will collaborate with local professionals, providing them with invaluable insight into the fast-paced and highly creative beauty industry in Japan.

Over the two week trip, staff and students will also visiting the Japanese cities of Kyoto and Nagasaki, travelling via the iconic Shinkansen – bullet train network around the country. Students are excited to experience wider Japanese culture, sightseeing throughout the historic cities and learning more about the art of Geisha.

Claire Springthorpe, Curriculum Manager for Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy at Loughborough College, shared: “I am extremely proud to have won this bid over many other colleges. This is an incredible opportunity for our students. Japan is at the forefront of beauty trends, and to experience it first-hand will be hugely influential. We are so excited to see what new techniques, innovations, and skills our learners will bring back to the UK.”