Raising the Bar: Texture Ready Sets New Standards for Hair Care in Production

For years, the professional production landscape across theatre, film, and television has grappled with a significant inconsistency: the lack of standardized care for textured hair. While departments like lighting, costume, and sound operate under clear professional mandates, hair care has often been treated as an afterthought, frequently placing the burden of styling on the performers themselves. Art & Soul Consulting is looking to change that with the launch of Texture Ready, a new production-level competency and readiness standard designed to ensure equitable treatment for all hair types.

Establishing a New Leadership Role

At the heart of the Texture Ready initiative is the formalization of the “hair lead” role. According to Art & Soul Consulting founder Kira Troilo, the goal is to integrate hair care directly into the production hierarchy, granting it the same scope of authority and responsibility as other essential departments. When a production lacks a qualified hair lead, the responsibility often falls on Black performers and performers of color to manage their own hair, a disparity that does not exist in any other technical department.

“For years, the conversation has stopped at the stylist,” Troilo stated. “Texture Ready moves it where it needed to go all along, into the production itself. Until hair has a seat at the leadership table, performers will keep paying the price for what no one was responsible for.”

Addressing Industry Gaps

The urgency for this standard follows a 2023 SAG-AFTRA agreement that introduced reimbursement provisions for hair and makeup services. While the agreement mandated the use of “qualified” professionals, it stopped short of providing a concrete definition for that term. Texture Ready aims to fill this void by establishing a credentialed standard that productions can adopt to ensure their teams are equipped to handle all hair textures.

Representatives for the initiative highlighted the systemic nature of the issue, noting that productions would never expect a performer to bring their own costumes or manage their own lighting design. By treating hair as a core production department, Texture Ready seeks to eliminate the practice of treating certain performers as “outside the scope” of professional hair services.

Real-World Implementation

The efficacy of the standard has already been put to the test. The Umbrella Stage Company’s production of Hairspray served as the first full Texture Ready case study engagement, providing a roadmap for how these competencies can be implemented in a live theatre environment. To support this transition, Art & Soul Consulting has launched several resources for organizations, including:

• Public Texture Ready Cohorts: Convenings for industry leaders, including casting directors, talent agents, producers, and union representatives.
• Private Institutional Cohorts: Customized training for specific teams or organizations.
• The Texture Readiness Diagnostic and Toolkit: Practical tools designed to assess and improve current production workflows.
• Implementation Coaching: Direct guidance for productions looking to integrate these standards.

Looking Ahead

As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, the push for more inclusive and equitable production environments has become a focal point for many organizations. By professionalizing the role of the hair lead and providing clear, actionable standards, Texture Ready offers a path forward that prioritizes the dignity and professional needs of all performers.

Organizations interested in adopting these standards can find more information and upcoming cohort dates at textureready.com.

Key Takeaways

• Standardization: Texture Ready provides the first production-level competency standard for textured hair across film, TV, and theatre.
• Accountability: The initiative advocates for the hair lead to be a permanent, authoritative role within the production team.
• Equity: The standard addresses long-standing disparities where performers of color were often required to manage their own hair styling.
• Resources: Productions can access training, diagnostic tools, and coaching to implement these standards immediately.