Costume
Designer
— Worldbuilder —
IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN IDEA
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IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN IDEA ✦
MEET Kiera
Kiera Powers (They/Them) is a non-binary Dallas-based costume designer, filmmaker, musician, and multidisciplinary artist. They hold a BFA in Theatre Arts Design and Technology with a concentration in Costume Design from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Their work in costume design centers on character-driven storytelling through silhouette, texture, and culturally informed visual language. Kiera approaches design as a collaborative and interpretive process, supporting narrative, performer embodiment, and cohesive world-building across theatrical productions. Select theatre credits include work with Soul Rep Theatre Company on The African Company Presents King Richard III, The Stamped Project (Bishop Arts Theatre Center’s Banned Books Festival), A Dallas Hedda (Bishop Arts Theatre Center), A Strange Loop (Circle Theatre), Black Nativity (Bishop Arts Theatre Center) and Gem of the Ocean (Soul Rep Theatre).
Beyond costume design, Kiera’s creative practice extends into filmmaking and music. They are developing their ongoing film project Femme Fatale: Tales From Disruptors, and work as a flutist, pianist, and vocalist while pursuing studies in Commercial Music Production at Dallas College. Across mediums, their work reflects an interest in storytelling as an evolving, cross-disciplinary practice.
Kiera is also deeply committed to arts accessibility and education. They have contributed to community programs through Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Dallas Afterschool, and Urban Arts Center, and continue this work through their nonprofit, Living Theories Collective. Their advocacy for inclusive creative spaces began with co-founding the Black Theatre Society at the University of Texas at Arlington, an organization dedicated to uplifting, educating, and advocating for Black artists.
Through costume design, film, music, and education, Kiera’s practice is grounded in collaboration, accessibility, and the continued exploration of storytelling as a shared human experience.
- education & Advocacy work -
Through collaborations with organizations including Greenhill School, Urban Arts Center Dallas, Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Jubilee Park & Community Center, and Dallas AfterSchool, Kiera Powers has developed engaging and inclusive learning environments where young people build creative confidence, technical artistry, and pathways toward personal and professional growth through theatre, design, and interdisciplinary arts education. These experiences as both an educator and designer ultimately inspired the founding of Living Theories Collective, a nonprofit organization committed to expanding access to arts education, STEAM learning, and community-centered creative opportunities.
Arts Education & Community Impact
About Living Theories Collective
Living Theories Collective is a community-centered nonprofit focused on expanding access to arts education, STEAM learning, and creative mentorship for youth throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. Founded by Kiera Powers, the organization creates hands-on learning experiences that connect theatre, design, fabrication, and interdisciplinary arts with personal growth, cultural exploration, and career development. Through partnerships with schools, after-school programs, artists, and community organizations, Living Theories Collective works to build safe, inclusive, and inspiring spaces where creativity becomes a tool for education, empowerment, and opportunity.
IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN IDEA
✦
IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN IDEA ✦
most recent work
The 39 Steps
Adapted by Patrick Barlow, from the novel by John Buchan, from the movie by Alfred Hitchcock.
greenhill school
March 11 - march 13, 2026
Director: Valerie Hauss-Smith
Assistant Director: Maxey Goold
Set & Props: Will Turbyne
Costume Design: Kiera Powers
Sound Design: Mark Howard
Lighting Design/MPAC Manager: Leann Burns
When a spy thriller collides with fast-paced slapstick comedy, The 39 Steps becomes a whirlwind of chaos, disguise, and absurd adventure. The story follows Richard Hannay, an ordinary man who suddenly finds himself entangled in a dangerous espionage plot after a mysterious woman is murdered in his apartment. On the run and framed for the crime, Hannay races across the country to uncover the truth behind “The 39 Steps,” encountering spies, strangers, and unexpected allies along the way. What makes this production especially thrilling is its inventive staging: a small cast rapidly transforms into over two dozen characters through lightning-fast costume changes, physical comedy, and imaginative storytelling, turning a suspenseful mystery into a wildly entertaining theatrical ride.
IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN IDEA
✦
IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN IDEA ✦
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