Professor Pamela Howard OBE is an active Director and Scenographer working primarily in opera and contemporary music theatre. Her practice encompasses large and small scale productions in major opera houses and also “unloved and forgotten” spaces. Trained at Birmingham College of Art (1954-8) and the Slade School of Fine Art London (1958-9) Professor Howard has had a splendid career.

In 2013 she began one of her most important projects to date, where Life and Art meet of the Director and Scenographer for the new Canadian production of the singspiel Charlotte – a Tri-Coloured Play with Music with librettist/actor Alon Nashman, and composer Aleš Brezina. The production premiered in Toronto in June 2016 and was shown at World Stage Design in Taipei in July 2017. In June 2019 this production started its World Tour: The Jaffa International Music Festival; Theatre on the Podil Kiev and Lviv Ukraine; Prague National Opera/New Stage; finishing at the prestigious Litomyšl International Music Festival in Czech Republic; receiving everywhere great reviews and acclaim.

Professor Howard initiates collaborative projects that unite many countries through art and music. In 2019 and ongoing she became part of the yearlong UK-wide Festival Insiders/Outsiders celebrating the contribution of émigré artists to British Culture during World War II. Professor Howard’s new work The Ballad of the Cosmo Café was shown in London as part of this festival.

Professor Howard is the author of What is Scenography? which is now in seven languages and the third edition with new material is just published. This publication is highly regarded by industry professional worldwide as one of the most important readings for designers, directors, and theatre educators. Professor Howard is a living legend in design, scenography and arts education, and is regularly invited to educational events all over the world.

The School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts has been working closely with Professor Howard since the early 1990’s through her visits to work with students from the design department, as well as through contacts at theatre conferences in Europe, World Stage Design, and the Prague Quadrennial exhibitions. Some alumni of the School have been her students at Central Saint Martins London. Professor Howard has always been highly supportive of the School.

In the academic year of 2017/18 the Theatre Design Department of the School invited Professor Howard to lead Set and Costume Design students in a design project and to conduct a public seminar in January 2018. The chance to work with Professor Howard encouraged students to strive for excellence in their design process.

Professor Howard was awarded the OBE in 2008 for her contribution and outstanding services to Drama. She is International Chair in Drama at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Visiting Professor at the Arts University Bournemouth, and Professor Emeritus at the Arts University London. Her work will be celebrated at World Stage Design in Calgary in August 2022, where as Director and Visual Artist she is creating a new music theatre work Voices of Canada on themes of cultural identity in the category “Living Legend”, and there will also be an exhibition of her artwork, publications and films.

Photo by: Roni Hall