About Maelisa

(Click to view MAELISA’S Art CV)

Maelisa (she/her) is a costume and performance designer, visual artist, writer and researcher. In performance, she has worked on projects spanning theatre, film, opera and dance. Her visual art and performance designs have been featured across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.

She is currently pursuing a PhD in Art at the University of Edinburgh, funded by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science PhD Research Award. Her research concentrates on the contribution of costume design to disability studies and discourse. As a disabled artist herself, she is also an avid advocate for increased accessibility and inclusivity in technical theatre and film work.

In addition to her work as a performance designer and visual artist, Maelisa has experience as a writer, art curator, and fashion director/editor for various arts publications.

Maelisa holds an MA with Distinction in Costume Design for Performance from the London College of Fashion, and a BA with Distinction in Drama from the University of Virginia, where she was a Miller Arts Scholar of Drama. She is an active member of the Society of British Theatre Designers, as well as the Irish Society of Performance Designers.