Dana Pinto

Raised in South London by immigrant working-class parents, I developed a lifelong passion for spatial design, which led me to study Theatre Design at Wimbledon School of Art, followed by an MA in Scenography at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. My career has encompassed designing sets and costumes for a wide range of productions, including short films, community theatre, musicals, dance, and opera. Alongside my design practice, I lectured in Scenic Construction and Scenic Painting at Lewisham College before progressing to lead courses and oversee the curriculum team at Bromley College of Further and Higher Education.

As a Qualification Writer, I authored nationally taught Production Arts courses, which inspired me to establish and found School of Scenography in 2018, an online platform supporting students and graduates entering the industry, as well as Design+Tech Innovations Ltd. Alongside this, I served as UK Managing Editor for The Scenographer (2020–2024), where I wrote, conducted interviews, edited articles for our magazine, and published books. I also served as a Governor at a large London primary school, focusing on Writing and Special Educational Needs, and I currently sit on the Board of Second Wave Performing Arts, a Queen’s Award–winning charity for young people in London, as Vice Chair/Treasurer working closely to challenge misogyny, abuse and violence against young women, co-found Lewisham’s Hate Crime Awareness Group, and use creative performing arts to address grooming, radicalisation, violent extremism, and vulnerability.

Now on the Committee of The Society of British Theatre Designers, I share my combined experience in design, lecturing, editorial and organisation to support Designers while contributing to the long-term development of the field.