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Michael Howells »
Lighting design
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Biographies
Michael Howells started his career in film as Art Director on Peter Greenaway films and rapidly moved on to become a Production Designer in his own right. Most recent credits include Frank Oz's Death at a Funeral with Peter Dinklage, Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes; Sixty Six directed by Paul Weiland starring Helena Bonham Carter and Stephen Rea; Nanny McPhee directed by Kirk Jones starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth; and Bright Young Things directed by Stephen Fry, with Emily Mortimer, James McAvoy, Dan Ackroyd and Jim Broadbent.
Other credits include: Charles Sturridge's two-part epic adventure Shackleton starring Kenneth Branagh shot partly on location in Greenland. Mike Figgis' Miss Julie; Oliver Parker's An Ideal Husband with Rupert Everett and Julianne Moore; Andy Tennant's Everafter with Drew Barrymore; Charles Sturridge's Fairytale: A True Story and Doug McGrath's Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow.
Aside from his work as Production Designer in film, Michael also designs theatre, ballet and dance productions; art installations; and for magazines and fashion shows. This includes working with artist Robert Wilson on his HG installation; as Visual Consultant to Selfridges Department Store; several Mark Baldwin ballets including Constant Speed for Rambert Dance Company; and the Cinderella installation at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo for the Biennale di Firenze. Michael regularly collaborates with John Galliano on both his prêt-a-porter and couture fashion shows for Christian Dior. Michael has also collaborated with renowned photographers Mario Testino, Nick Knight and Mert and Marcus for such publications as English, French and American Vogue, French Elle and Harpers & Queen. His design work for theatre and dance productions include Mark Ravenhill's Dick Whittington for the Barbican Christmas season 2006, Eternal Light and Lady into Fox with Mark Baldwin for Rambert, and Fier! for Dansgroup Amsterdam.
Michael has been a Lighting Designer for the past 20 years. He specialises in designing for dance. He has had numerous commissions throughout Britain, Europe, Australia and South Africa, and his work has spanned designs for touring companies, site-specifics and installations. He has created designs for Rambert Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Company, The Royal Ballet, The Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ashley Page, Javier De Frutos, Balbir Singh, Protein Dance Company, Shobana Jeyasingh, Hofesh Shechter, Rafael Bonachela, Charles Linehan, CandoCo, Carol Brown, the re-opening event at the Royal Festival Hall as well as many others.
Michael also conducts courses in lighting design at BA and MA level, in London, Denmark and South Africa. He has also taught lighting master classes for the British Council in Kazakhstan.