Pam Fraser Solomon facts for kids

Pam Fraser Solomon is a talented British producer and director. She has worked for over 40 years in theatre, radio, film, television, and education. She has won awards, including the "Race in the Media Award" in 1999. Pam worked at BBC Radio for 16 years as a senior producer. She has also worked in many theatres, like the Sheffield Crucible. Currently, she leads the Creative Producing course at Mountview drama school.

About Pam Fraser Solomon

Pam Fraser Solomon was born in Guyana and grew up in London, England. She earned a master's degree from Middlesex University. Early in her career, she worked in different theatres. These included the Sheffield Crucible and the Theatre Royal Stratford East. She also directed plays for groups like Temba and BTC (Black Theatre Co-operative) in the 1980s.

Pam once shared her thoughts on "black theatre" from those days. She said it was new and often struggled to get funding. Sometimes, they were expected to be "theatre" and other times "black," which was confusing. She described it as "shifting sands."

Pam has also spoken about how her Guyanese background and growing up as a Black woman in London shaped her work. She believes her experiences help her tell stories in new ways. She sees the world through the eyes of a Black woman. This perspective makes her contributions unique and important.

Working at the BBC

From 1991, Pam Fraser Solomon worked for 16 years as a senior producer at BBC Radio. She directed over a hundred hours of audio dramas. She helped with big arts events like the Africa95 and Africa '05 festivals. She also worked on the 2007 season remembering the end of the slave trade. In 2001, she wrote and produced a show called Stealing the Glory. It was about the Arctic explorer Matthew Henson.

Pam also worked on television dramas. She produced several episodes of popular shows like EastEnders and Holby City. She was also a producer for the BBC short film One Night In White Satin. In 2007, she was an executive producer for the BBC2 documentary In Search of Wilberforce. This film explored the life of William Wilberforce, who fought against slavery.

In 2007, Pam produced a radio play called The Lamplighter by Jackie Kay. This play was part of a season marking 200 years since the Slave Trade Act 1807. Jackie Kay shared a story Pam told her about her great-grandmother. Her great-grandmother's mother had been born enslaved. She would often say, "I'm just listening to where the breeze is coming from." This made them think about what people remember and forget about slavery.

Later Career and Awards

After leaving the BBC, Pam continued her career as a freelance producer and director. She worked on projects like the documentary film Divided by Race, United in War and Peace. This film was about Caribbean war veterans and their fight against racism.

In 2018, she became the Head of MA Creative Producing at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. She also helps lead Theatre Deli. Pam believes that organizations should make sure their leaders reflect the diverse people they serve. She has said that there is a "mismatch" between the stories told and who is in charge.

Pam has won several awards for her work. In 1999, she won a "Race in the Media Award" for a radio play. This play was based on C. L. R. James's novel Minty Alley. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1998. Pam has also been a judge for important awards, like The Whickers Radio & Audio Funding Award in 2020.

Selected Work

Theatre

• 1990: Zindika, Paper and Stone — director (Black Theatre Co-operative, at the Albany Empire)

Radio

• 1995: Ama Ata Aidoo, Anowa — director (BBC Radio 3)
• 1995: Henry Louis Gates, Jr, Colored People (memoir) — producer (BBC Radio 4)
• 1996: C. L. R. James, Beyond a Boundary — producer (BBC Radio 4)
• 1996: Ntozake Shange, Spell Number 7 — producer (BBC Radio 3)
• 1998: C. L. R. James, Minty Alley — director (BBC Radio 4)
• 1999: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince — director (BBC Radio 4)
• 2001: Stealing the Glory: the Conquest of the North Pole — writer and producer (BBC Radio 4)
• 2003: Charles W. Chesnutt, Tradition — director (BBC Radio 4)
• 2007: Jackie Kay, The Lamplighter — producer (BBC Radio 3)

Television

• 2006: One Night in White Satin — development producer (BBC TV)
• 2007: In Search of Wilberforce — executive producer (BBC 2)