Bethan McDonnell

Bethan McDonnell is from Northern Ireland and has grown up with an appreciation for music, art, and her homeland. She is a recent graduate from Ulster University, Belfast, where she completed her BA (Hons) in Textile Art, Design and Fashion. Specialising in designing and making knitwear garments, her knitted narratives are often inspired by exploring literature and the landscapes of Northern Ireland.

Her final year project, ‘Nurtured,’ was a womenswear collection based on the novel ‘The Secret Garden,’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Bethan’s work revolves around storytelling giving her a strong foundation as a costume designer. She has worked on projects such as CS. Lewis’ ‘Narnia’, William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, and historical stories from Northern Ireland. Her work has been showcased in Ulster University, Titanic Museum and St. Anne’s Cathedral. In addition, she has completed an art residency in Cambridge, England. Some of the awards she has received include, ‘CCEA Reward Learning,’ ‘John Bush Design Art Award’, ‘The Gloria Sidwell Bursary for Art and Design’, and ‘Dean’s List Award, Ulster University.’

As part of her degree, she worked on Inis Meáin, Galway, and Florence, Italy.