Ruta Staseviciute , Liverpool, United Kingdom

Ruta is an Art Director, Performance Designer, Maker, and Artist with extensive experience in puppet, prop and lantern making using a wide range of materials.

She has worked as a production designer/ art director on a selection of music video and commercial shoots, including Leone Lewis and Ne-Yo, Smirnoff, and Nike.

Her public art installations were featured in the Gothenburg 400 year jubilee heritage festival of which she was also the art director. One of Ruta's installation was the key image in the opening of the festival attended by the Crown Princes of Sweden.
She holds an award for 'Technical and Creative Excellence' from the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. As well as puppets and props she is also proficient in costume, carpentry and scenic art. Ruta has been fortunate to work for over a decade on numerous projects with high-profile companies including Lantern Company, Walk the Plank and Mind the Gap. She has created and performed giant illuminated puppets for various events and parades - Lumiere London; Hong Kong Arts in the Park; Summer Well festival, Romania; Manchester Day; Halloween Parade, Liverpool; Chester Zoo; Shambala; Wilderness; Festival no.6; MegaMela. 

Her smaller puppets were exhibited at Vilnius Puppet Theatre in Lithuania; as well as featured in theatre shows and short films. She also has created small scale puppet shows and performances for Beijing International Puppet Festival; Just So, Festival No.6, Fire in the Mountain and This Side of the River festivals.  She often leads community workshops and has experience facilitating outdoor arts. 

Other credits include designing sets and costumes for Unity Theatre (Liverpool), Home theatre (Manchester) and the Grand Theatre Blackpool, as well as touring productions; such as "Nell Gwyn", "Mirror Mirror", "Blue Stockings", "Arabian Nights", "Master and Margarita", "Inspector Norse" and "Romeo and Juliet".