Ruth Howard

Ruth Howard was born in Durham England on April 29, 1957, to mother Antonie Howard (née Eber) and father Ian P. Howard, a renowned researcher in visual perception. She has younger twin brothers, Neil and Martin. In 1966, the family moved to Manhattan for a year and then to Toronto, Canada, which has remained Ruth's home-base ever since, although she has also lived and worked in many other places. She currently lives on Wards Island with her partner of many years, Stephen Cooper. They have three children: Shifra, Helah and Eli.

Ruth studied at the Eastbourne College of Art and Design, at the University of Toronto where she obtained a BA Honours in English Literature and Drama, and at the National Theatre School of Canada (Design Program).

Early work

Ruth worked for many years as a theatre designer, at professional theatres across Canada, as well as with various forms of popular and participatory arts and theatre.

In 1991, Ruth was invited by Dale Hamilton to be a designer for the Spirit of Shivaree in Rockwood, Ontario, a project inspired by the British work of the Colway Theatre Trust with director Jon Oram. This introduction to the community play form, which combines high-calibre art making on an epic scale with a practice of wholehearted social inclusion and an astonishing capacity for social change, has inspired the course and nature of her work ever since.

Ruth went on to design community plays in Canada and the U.K. - in Blyth, Ontario; Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan; Enderby, British Columbia; Torquay, England and Manchester, England - and to create interdisciplinary projects that adapted the form to reflect her evolving artistic interests and urban realities. She produced and create her own theatre events: initially in school communities, and growing in size and complexity. In 2000, she produced a multi-lingual performance piece in South Riverdale’s Twisted Metal and Mermaids Tears, the success of which prompted her to found Jumblies Theatre in 2001.