Rita Carmody studied costume and set design at NIDA, (National Institute of Dramatic Art). She designed the set and costumes for the Australian premiere of Gary Owen's Fags directed by Lara Macgregor and costumes for Joshua Consandine’s Snippets. Rita also designed the costumes for Can’t Pay? Wont Pay? by Dario Fo and directored by Craig Illot as well as creating costume designs for Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra directed by Aubrey Mellor.
Rita worked with The Red Room Company on the set and costume designs for 'Occasional Poetry'.