Bettina Reeves
Bettina Reeves is a Senior Lecturer in Theatre Design at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. Puppetry in Performance has become a highly acclaimed part of the students’ experience which Bettina has co-ordinated and led for the past 8 years.
Her own freelance theatre design work has often included the extensive use of puppets of different scale and style- most notably in an adaptation of The Mahabharata by Nona Shepard, a trilogy of Music Theatre performed by communities and professional actors/musicians in Lincoln, Bedford and Watford.
Bettina started her life and career in London. After graduating from Camberwell (Textiles) and the Slade (Theatre Design) Schools of Art , her work as Designer and Maker included shows at the Young Vic, Royal Court Theatre Upstairs and Greenwich Young People’s Theatre before moving to Wales.
Alongside many years of designing for companies in Wales such as The Sherman Theatre, Hijinx Theatre, Theatr Iolo, Gwent Theatre and Theatre Powys, Bettina has worked as Artist in Residence and workshop leader for textile/art projects in schools and hospitals.
Recent visits to Tibet and India have enriched a life-long passion for costume and textiles.
Bettina’s on-going commission for the past few years has been to design large scale installations for a Victorian market hall, as part of the Abergavenny Food Festival. These have been achieved through workshops involving up to 60 volunteers at Arts Alive, Crickhowell. This year the hall is bedecked with textile sculptures of gorgeous game birds and leaping hares.