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Photo Credit: Flor Dias
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Pamela Howard (1939-2026), a long-standing contributor, respected master, and beloved colleague in the OISTAT community. She was a passionate educator, distinguished scenographer and director, mentor, and friend to many. She was also one of the key driving forces behind the founding of Scenofest, leaving a lasting legacy within OISTAT and the international theatre community.
Pamela studied at Birmingham College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Since 1960, she had designed and directed more 250 productions across the UK, Europe, and the United States, with a particular interest in contemporary opera and site-specific performance. She served as international Chair of Drama at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and Honorary Professor at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Through her book What is Scenography? and decades of teaching, she helped shape contemporary theatre education, inspiring theatre practitioners across generations and countries through her insights into scenography and her dedication to sharing knowledge.
Within OISTAT, Pamela was a highly active and influential member of Education Commission and a major contributor to its work. In 1994, she initiated and founded Scenofest. From 1999 to 2011, Scenofest was held in conjunction with Prague Quadrennial (PQ), before becoming an integral part of the World Stage Design (WSD) exhibition in 2013.
Through OISTAT’s international platform and workshops, she helped move beyond the traditional boundaries of stage scenery, fostering global dialogue on spatial composition, contemporary scenography, and international theatre education. She also delivered a keynote address at OISTAT’s 50th Anniversary World Congress, entitled A Touch on the Times, tracing how artists from different countries connected and inspired one another international exchange and building cultural connections across borders.
Pamela was a valued and steadfast member of the OISTAT family. Through her professionalism, artistic insight, and dedication to international collaboration and theatre education, she made lasting contributions to the Education Commission and inspired generations of young theatre practitioners. OISTAT was honored to have her as a trusted partner in building and enriching our global theatre community.
We extend our deepest condolences to Pamela’s family, friends, colleagues, students, and all those whose lives she touched. We will always remember her enduring contributions to OISTAT and the theatre community, and mourn her passing with profound sadness. Below are messages of remembrance from the OISTAT community.
In Memory of Pamela Howard : Messages from the OISTAT Community
Some encounters change the course of our lives in ways we only fully recognise with time. Pamela was one of those people for me. Today, as we celebrate her life, legacy, and friendship, I find myself reflecting on the extraordinary ways a single person can shape paths of others.
Just a few days before Pamela’s passing, we met in Bucharest, a place deeply connected to my own family history and heritage. I could not have imagined then that it would be our last meeting.
I first met Pamela in-person at PQ/Scenofest in 2003, but our story began earlier. In the early days of the CenografiaBrasil collective, I took a chance and emailed her from Brazil on behalf of an independent participant who hoped to join the Scenofest King Lear Critique. Although we were late in applying, Pamela welcomed the proposal, making it possible for an independent Brazilian voice to participate in PQ for the first time and, at that moment, the only one.
Pamela is a key figure in the history of international scenography. She did not create Scenofest alone, but she played a crucial role in shaping its spirit and opening doors to individual artists, in which international exchange could become more accessible, and transformative, beyond the limits of their immediate contexts.
For many of us, returning home from these encounters meant carrying a renewed perspective. A learning on how to navigate the international waters of scenography, collectively and individually, with openness, curiosity, and friendship. Looking back, I see how a single act of trust and generosity helped shape my own path within the international community. It became both a personal journey and a responsibility that I continue to carry: to open doors for others, welcome new voices, and build bridges between communities.
Pamela’s lasting legacy lies not only in the spaces she helped create, but also in the people she inspired and empowered to step into them and, in turn, to create new spaces for others to continue this practice of exchange, dialogue, and mutual support. Pamela's influence continues through the many people whose paths she helped shape and through the communities that continue to grow from the opportunities she so generously created.
Aby Cohen
OISTAT President 2021-2029
