Artist In Residence
HENRY D. MUTTOO

Henry D. Muttoo, a versatile and boundary-pushing artist, brings fresh perspective as an artist in residence.  We are excited to see the work he will create during his time here.

About HENRY D. MUTTOO

Learn more about the experience of our artist in residence, Henry D. Muttoo.

EDUCATION & TRAINING
  • MA (Theatre Practices) – Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance, University of
    Manchester
  • Professional Dip. Theatre Design (Settings & Costumes) – Croydon College of Art & Design (Three year, full time)
  • Certificate (Advanced Acting, Directing & Stage Management) – University of the West
    Indies
  • Three-year Apprenticeship Programme (Theatre Guild of Guyana)
 
AWARDS & HONOURS
  • Doctor of Arts (D.Arts.) Honouris Causa – University College of the Cayman Islands.
  • MBE – Buckingham Palace, U.K. For contributions to the development, preservation and
    celebration of Heritage, Arts & Culture in the Cayman Islands
  • Order of Cayman (Officer) – Cayman Islands Government
  • Cultural Pioneer – Cayman Islands Government
  • Caribbean Theatre Hall of Fame – Caribbean Development for the Arts and Culture
    Foundation.
  • Award of Excellence – Guyana Cultural Association (NY)
  • Citation – Borough of Brooklyn New York – For vision and development of culture and arts
    in New York.

HENRY D. MUTTOO's Accomplishments (Shortlist)

Discover the impressive accomplishments of our artist in residence, Henry D. Muttoo.

  • Directed & Designed settings and costumes for more than 100 stage productions, festivals
    tourism promotions and product launches and exhibitions in Guyana, Cayman, Jamaica,
    Holland and the UK.
  • First Stage Manager – National Cultural Centre, Guyana (CARIFESTA ’72)
  • Best Actor (Guyana, 1972)
  • Founding member, ALL AH WE (Guyana)
  • Helped develop and execute GUYFEST 1975 (Guyana)
  • Founding Member, MESSENGER (Indian Heritage and Culture group,) Guyana
  • Guyana Folk Festival Award NY – Excellence in the Arts.
  • Festival winning production and Best Director (Theatre Guild Festival of Plays 1975?))
  • Director of the year (Cayman Islands, 1984)
  • Actor Boy Award (x 2) – Best Design (Jamaica)
  • Cacique Award (x 2) – Best Design (Trinidad & Tobago)
  • Jamaica Independence Festival Awards – 1980 – 88 (Several 1 st and 2 nd awards for Carnival
    costume design – individuals and groups)
  • Listed in The Cambridge Guide to African & Caribbean Theatre.
  • Published ‘My Markings’ The Art of Gladwyn K. Bush.
  • Published paper – ‘From Multiculturalism to Culturalism’. Caribbean Quarterly (Vol. 45,
    Nos. 2 & 3. June – September 1999)

As Artistic Director of the Cayman National Cultural Foundation:

  • Created the overall vision for Arts and cultural development in the Cayman Islands.
  • Realised several significant cultural development initiatives since 1989, among
    them:
  • The NATIONAL ARTS & CULTURE AWARDS, recognizing Caymanian Artists and
    Culture Makers.
  • Designed CNCF logos
  • Designed Medals for NATIONAL ARTS & CULTURE AWARDS – (Heritage Award and
    Star for Creativity)
  • Conceived the National Playwriting Competition, which produced more than 50
    new Caymanian stage plays.
  • Selected and edited book, DOWNSIDE UP & TIME LONGER DAN ROPE – two plays
    by Dr. Frank McField.
  • Published GROWN FROM THIS GROUND – first publication of poems by, Leonard
    Dilbert.
  • Conceived and Edited, five volumes of FOUNDATION – The Arts and Culture Journal
    of the Cayman Islands.
  • Published SMOKE-POT DAYS, the memoirs of Mr. Will Jackson, by Dave Martins
  • Edited STORIES MY GRANDFATHER NEVER TOLD ME by J. A. Roy Bodden
  • Assembled and produced the only professional recordings of Caymanian
    Traditional Music Artists, Radley Gourzong and the Happy Boys, ‘Aunt’ Julia Hydes
    and the Northside Kitchen Band.
  • Directed and designed 27 consecutive, annual productions of the stage revue
    Rundown, created by Dave Martins.
  • Wrote 10 Rundown scripts.
  • Created GIMISTORY, the annual Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival,
    now in its 22 nd year.
  • Introduced the Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase.
  • Brought national and international attention to Visionary Intuitive Artist and
    Cayman Cultural Treasure, Gladwyn “Miss Lassie” Bush.
  • Designed and edited My Markings – The Art of Gladwyn K. Bush.
  • Successfully advocated for Miss Lassie awarded the honour of MBE.
  • Successfully advocated for Miss Lassie’s images to be reproduced of two issues of
    Caymanian postage stamps.
  • Selected and acquired, for the People of the Cayman Islands, 140 paintings by Miss
    Lassie. This is the largest collection of paintings by a single regional artist, owned by
    the people.
  • Advocated for the acquisition of Miss Lassie’s home and art to be purchased,
    conserved and developed as the Mind’s Eye Cultural Heritage site.
  • Successfully advocated for and attained international recognition for Miss Lassie’s
    home to be listed on the 2012 World Monuments Fund Watchlist of endangered
    World Heritage sites.

HENRY D. MUTTOO's Accomplishments (Shortlist)

Picture of young Henry

HENRY D. MUTTOO's Accomplishments (Shortlist)

Discover the impressive accomplishments of our artist in residence, Henry D. Muttoo

  • Instituted the CNCF Distinguished Lecture Series. Speakers have included:
    Derek Walcott (Nobel Laureate – St. Lucia – Poetry & Theatre)
     Earl Lovelace (Commonwealth Prize Winner – Trinidad & Tobago – Novel)
     Lorna Goodison (Commonwealth Prize Winner – Jamaica – Poetry)
     Rex Nettleford (Former Vice Chancellor of UWI – Jamaica – Dance)
     Mervyn Morris – Poet Laureate (Jamaica – Poetry)
     Leonard Dilbert – (Caymanian Islands – Poetry)
     Dave Martins – (Guyana – Music & Culture)
     Dr. Hollis ‘Chalkdust’ Liverpool. (Culture, Heritage and Calypso)
     Leroy Clarke. (Iconic Painter and Poet )
     Karl Broodhagen (Barbadian Master Sculptor)
  • Planned and executed a Caribbean literary Symposium with focus on Errol John’s
    classic play, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl.

VOLUNTARY COMMITTEES / ADVISORY POSITIONS / SPEAKER SERIES

  • Honorary Member – Rotary Cayman Islands
  • Co-created National Children’s Festival of the Arts syllabus for Speech & Drama.
  • Adjudicator (Speech and Drama) – C. I National Children’s Festival of the Arts.
  • Adjudicator – (Speech and Drama) Jamaica National Festival of the Arts
  • Member – Cayman Islands Education Scholarship Committee.
  • Member – Cayman Islands Postal Stamp Committee.
  • Judge – Governor’s Award for Architecture.
  • Member – Committee for the establishment of a Cayman Islands National Gallery.
  • Member – Committee for the establishment of the Vision 2008 Cultural Development
    Strategy.
  • Advisor – Script and talent for a documentary on the History of Pedro St. James Great
    House.
  • Presenter – UCCI Conferences (x2)
  • Guest speaker – CI National Museum Speaker Series.
  • Presenter (x 3) Leadership Cayman.
  • Guest speaker –Intellectual Property Rights Seminar (Cayman Islands).
  • Established MOU between University College of the Cayman Islands and the University of
    South Florida.

INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCIES & Other

  • 3-time Visiting Scholar – University of South Florida (Design, Direct & Teach)
  1. Director – Pantomime by Derek Walcott (USF – Fall 2015)
  2. Director & Designer – Ti Jean & His Brothers by Derek Walcott
  3. Director & Designer – Moon On A Rainbow Shawl by Derek Walcott (USF)Tutor –
    Theatre Design Course – Final Year Students, USF
  • Tutor – MA course design option (UWI Jamaica)
  • Readings and performance – Harringey Community Relations Council (London)
  • Director/Designer Fallen Angels by Groundwork Theatre Company (Cayman Islands, Rugby
    School UK and University of South Florida, US.
  • Visiting Director, Shakespeare in Paradise (x 2) Bahamas.
  • Director & Designer – THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare (Rugby School, England)
  • Director & Designer – FALLEN ANGELS
  • Designer – ‘Nobel Production of Derek Walcott’s Dream on Monkey Mountain (Trinidad &
    Holland)
  • Director/Designer (Kiskadee Theatre, London – 1976 – 1979). Designed and directed
    several plays including, PANTOMIME (Walcott), MALCAUCHON (Walcott), MASADA
    (Edgar White), WINTI TRAIN (Edgar White), THRONE IN AN AUTUMN ROOM (Lennox
    Brown), BELLE FANTO (Eric Roach) COUVADE (Michael Gilkes)

Henry and his wife Marcia – Artistic and Managing Director, respectively – retired from the
Cayman National Cultural Foundation in December 2021, after serving for an unbroken period of
32 and 30 years, respectively. They live in the Cayman Islands with their three daughters and two
grandsons, and consult on heritage, arts and culture disciplines. This is Henry’s first time working
in Guyana since he left home in 1976. He is looking forward with enthusiasm, to sharing his
experience, skills and knowledge with the theatre community and all cultural stakeholders.