Meet the Team
Welcome to Access Art Academy — a place where creativity, connection, and lifelong learning come together.
Founded by award-winning artist, musician, and professional puppeteer Marianne Mettes, Access Art Academy is based in Canberra, ACT and offers creative experiences both locally and online.
Access Art Academy is a proud mother-daughter collaboration. Together with her mum, an experienced language teacher, they bring a warm, supportive, and personal touch to every class — from art workshops and puppet shows to online language courses.
At Access Art Academy, we believe learning should be joyful, art should be for everyone, and every class should leave you feeling inspired, confident, and connected.
Come make art, make friends, and make memories with us — here in Canberra or from wherever you are.
Director, teacher, artist and puppeteer
Marianne Mettes
Marion Verbruggen
Language teacher
Marion is a passionate, native Dutch speaker and professional teacher with over 30 teaching years experience.
Marion is fluent in Dutch, French, German, English, Spanish and Italian. She studied at Alliance Française in Paris, at Bingley College in England and at Chambre de Commerce in La Rochelle, France. In the Netherlands, Marion successfully completed her studies in languages & teacher training at the Gelderse Leergangen in Nijmegen (now known as the HAN University of Applied Sciences).
Marion has taught language courses for adult education, as well as in primary and secondary schools as a qualified teacher around the world.
Award-winning artist, puppeteer, musician, and educator, Marianne Mettes is the founder of Access Art Academy and PuppetOOdle.
Marianne has a Masters of Teaching, Bachelor in Fine Arts (Visual Arts), a Graduate Diploma in Radio Broadcasting. She has trained under international master puppeteers, performed for audiences of up to 10,000, and created puppets, shows and workshops for clients, including Sesame Street, the Canberra Theatre Centre, the National Museum of Australia, and Questacon.
As a fully accredited and registered specialist arts teacher herself, Marianne has worked across many sectors of the education system in Canberra and taught all levels from early childhood - straight through to senior secondary and higher education, including teaching in the arts at the University of Canberra.