Image credit: Richard Hanson

Becs is an award-winning performance designer and artist and was the DARE Fellow in Scenography at Opera North and University of Leeds from 2011-14, where she developed her practice of collaboration with scientists and musicians to create installations, film-work, performances and photographic essays.

DARE projects she created during this time include Phase Revival: An Optical Harmonica co-funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry (Leeds City Museum, Howard Assembly Room, Stage@Leeds); Gold Dust: Of Memory and Light (University of Leeds); Conductor co-funded by CCI Exchange (Howard Assembly Room); her photo essay Songs of Experience with Bradford District Care Trust and the Alzheimer’s Society; and performance pieces such as Phantasmagoria: Seduction and Psychosis (Stage@Leeds) and her current dance & installation project – Transmission in collaboration with biologists, technologists, musicians and dancers from the universities of York, Bristol, UWE and Falmouth, co-funded by Arts Council England and the Centre for Chronic Diseases and Disorders (C2D2), University of York which premiered at TFTV as part of York Festival of Ideas last week. 

Becs’ design work encompasses environments, video and costumes for dance, opera and theatre including the Royal Opera House, The National Theatre, The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet, National Ballet of Japan, Bern Ballet, Edinburgh International Festival, Liverpool Capital of Culture, Scottish Opera, Cork Midsummer Festival, Hofesh Shechter Company, Phoenix Dance, and regional theatres throughout the UK.

Becs has worked extensively within the HE sector, as course leader (Design for Performance, Edge Hill) lecturer (Central School of Speech and Drama), visiting lecturer (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, LIPA, Arts University Bournemouth); and resident designer at conservatoires (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Guildhall School of Music and Drama)

Becs is currently undertaking a short Visiting Research Fellowship at the School of Music, University of York where she hopes to secure funding to further develop her work with music and medical imaging technology within live performance environments.