James Perrett

Rebecca Godden is a dynamic actor, director, and facilitator with over a decade of experience nationally and internationally. Rebecca holds a First Class BA Honours in Contemporary Performance from the University of Winchester, and is a regular actor and director at Hat Fair, Winchester. She currently collaborates with companies such as Blue Apple Theatre (Associate Director) Ubisoft/Hampshire Cultural Trust (878AD Actor), MN Academy (Filmmaking Facilitator) and Birmingham Stage (Show Facilitator). Passionate about storytelling, she’s at home performing, writing and directing. Her work blends live theatre, performing arts, and immersive/ site-specific performance. Rebecca produces and hosts the podcast, Part of The Arts.  

I am an artist living on the edge of The New Forest. I use folklore, folksong, old customs, games and rituals to explore contemporary issues particularly social and economic disparity. Country living can be a strange mix of bounty and hopelessness but when people have access to their own strong and sinuous roots, their own history and stories they have anchorage and hope. I seek the stories that connect us and as an artist I’m thinking of different ways of pinning them up on the metaphorical village hall notice board for all to see. Alongside my own practice I run drawing workshops as The Village Hall Draw and community workshops around the New Forest working with Culture in Common and Hampshire Cultural Heritage amongst others.

Mindful art became my refuge after life changing brain surgery.  Now I’m passionate about sharing these techniques with others, utilising my 24 years teaching background to help adults and children experience the same benefits in a relaxed and accessible way.  All my techniques are abstract, so the focus is on the benefits of the process rather than the outcomes eg zendoodles, mandalas, watercolours.  My clients love the calm environment of the workshops and the well being benefits they feel before and after.  I currently deliver workshops, retreats and motivational talks to private clients, NHS employees, WI groups and schools.