UK / USA - Following a hugely successful first joint venture fund raiser this year between Light Relief in the UK and Behind the Scenes in the States, the two charities are doing it again in 2010. And once again they have the full backing of award-winning designers Paule Constable, Ken Billington and Ken Posner, along with Light Relief's co-founder, Rick Fisher.

Established in 2007 as Light Relief Day and now renamed By Design Day, 24 April is the day that, each year, people in the professional lighting design business give back to help others less fortunate than themselves. The first 'joint venture' between Light Relief and Behind the Scenes raised £7,500 - £3450 for Light Relief and $5,700 for Behind the Scenes. The money came through a variety of channels, including a bucket collection among the audience of the London production of Hairspray o

UK - Robe moving lights are at the core of the spectacular Brilliance installation in Blackpool, a major light art work consisting of six alluminium clad architectural arches traversing the seaside town's Birley Street, combined with additional lighting pods along the surrounding Church, Corporation and Clifton Streets.

The £3.5 million 'regeneration by light' scheme, commissioned by Blackpool Council, has been funded by the Northwest Development Agency, the European Regional Development Fund and Blackpool Council. The design concept was developed by Manchester based BDP, the lighting was conceived and programmed by Greg McLenahan of World Wide Lighting Design working in close conjunction with Blackpool's Illuminations department. The installation was overseen and co-ordinated by principal building contractors, J. McCann & Co (Nottingham).

Blackpool has historical

Spain - What, for 14 years, was the European design centre for Audi - Seat and Volkswagen is now a cultural art centre that hosts many different events in the Barcelona region.

This cultural centre now houses a main room of about 700sq.m with a height of 4.7m and a banquet room able to accommodate up to 650 people. It also features a theatre hall with 520 seats, a large space that can be split into two smaller rooms, in case of need.

In accordance with the high quality required for all materials used in this cultural centre, the lighting system is provided by Spotlight.

Atrezzo has provided, through the Spotlight exclusive distributor for Spain, over 50 projectors from the PAR and Synthesis families, designed and constructed by Spotlight, the Italian manufacturer.

To light this multi-functional space different PAR 64 and projectors with Fresnel (Area 12) and PC lens (Vario

UK - David Fitch Services Ltd provided the large mirror balls for the recent series of Strictly Come Dancing - as it has done for all seven seasons of the popular show.

The largest mirror ball used on the show, which was broadcast by the BBC during autumn 2009, is a 54" (1.4m) diameter which has 92,350 mirrors measuring 8mm square. The company has two of these 54" mirror balls, and six 48" mirror balls, available for hire, as well as a large number of smaller models from 32" down to 8"as well as a series of unique mirror sculptures which can be seen on the company's website.

David Fitch warns: "It's important to remember how big these mirrorballs are, and to measure the get-in door and the route. And remember the flightcase. You would be surprised how many people forget and find that their mirrorball won't fit!"

(Lee Baldock)

USA - LEDtronics has announced the latest members in its series of high-brightness, energy-efficient LED replacements for A19-style light bulbs for home and commercial use. The DEC-A19-5X1W DécorLED Series comes with softly diffused, precision domed lensing that directs light at a 95-degree beam, and is available in Warm White (3000 Kelvin) and Pure White (6000K).

These A19-style LED bulbs offer long-term durability, low power consumption, environmental sustainability and money savings, says the company. They run on a flexible voltage range of 85-265 VAC requiring no special adapters, and replace 40W to 50W incandescent bulbs while consuming less than 7 watts of power.

In addition, the series DEC-A19-5X1W DécorLED boasts a colour quality of up to 85 CRI, a horizontal beam spread of around 130 degrees, powerful 416 (XPW) and 340 lumens (XIW) of brightness, easy dr

USA / UK - Cooper Controls reports that the Orb theatrical lighting console from Zero 88, ended a successful introductory year with a trip to New York City, starring alongside actress Nicola McAuliffe in the production A British Subject.

A British Subject was originally performed at the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Festival and was directed by Hannah Eidinow and produced by Pleasance Theatre Trust. Following an initial consultation and training with Orb specialist Richard Lambert, lighting designer Mark Jonathon and assistant George Bishop chose the Orb for pre-programming prior to their acclaimed festival run.

"As someone who has used the Frog 2 for a number of years, the power, versatility, and user friendliness of the Orb made it a no brainer to bring it across for the show. Once again the support from Zero 88 has made this production an incredibly pain

The Netherlands - ISE 2010 sees LED screen manufacturer, Lighthouse Technologies, launch a new panel for the rental market, the Rn12i/o-SMD, which "heralds a new era for outdoor rental applications".

The Rn12i/o-SMD boasts 5000 nits, 16-bit processing and a 140 degree horizontal viewing angle.

Durability is also a key feature; this model comes with IP65 for both front and rear, and can withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees and as high as 50 degrees, making it a suitable panel for outdoor rental applications such as concerts and sports events.

The Rn12i/o-SMD is also designed with convenience in mind, says the company, making it an appropriate model for rental operations. Its light weight makes it easy to transport, install and dismantle and a tool-free stacking method simplifies set up.

"Lighthouse screens have always been chosen for their picture qua

Belgium - Jands Europe has appointed Inytium as its exclusive dealer in Belgium and Luxembourg for the Vista lighting control range. Under the programme, Inytium will fulfil all dealer aspects, including stock supply, demonstration, training, technical support and backup.

Inytium is a supplier of professional-grade lighting, sound and media control solutions to the Belgian theatre, show and scenic design markets. Recently rebranded from Blue Squares Sales and Distribution, the company has links with the industry dating back over 20 years. As a supplier of leading brands including Adamson, Clay Paky, MDG, Robert Juliat and Zero 88, the company was looking for an innovative lighting control solution to complement its existing product portfolio.

Thierry Renard, CEO of Inytium, comments: "It made sense to look for a hi-tech console to complete our range. Jands has an excellen

China - After the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where they provided the lighting for the Olympic Fencing Hall of National Conference Centre, Spotlight is now present in the most important cultural centres in China including the Guanzhou Opera House, the Chongqing Grand Theatre and the Concert Hall in Shenzhen.

In November 2009, the Italian manufacturer -together with some Senior Chinese stage-lighting designers such as Professor Liang Hongzhou - staged two seminars on Lighting Design and Lighting Technology organised by Shanghai LasLead Technology.

Located on the riverside of the Pearl River, the Guangzhou Opera House will resonate the high notes of Chinese Opera as a lasting monument to the New Millennium. Designed for the 2010 Asia Games, this big cultural project on the South of China covers an area of 46,000sq.m with 1,800 seats and a multifunctional digital hall w

USA - The new Accu SSL Series MR 16, A19 and Par 30 LED replacement LED lamps from Elation Architectural don't produce 'green light', but they do offer a lot of 'green benefits' both in terms of their eco-friendly features and the cold hard cash they save when used as a direct replacement for halogen, fluorescent and metal halide lamps, says the company.

The Accu SSL MR16 is a 4W (4.5W Maximum) standard size MR16 GU5.3 bi-pin base LED Lamp that uses three high-power Nichia LEDs. Available in 2,700k and 5,000k colour temperature models with a 25° beam angle, the Accu SSL MR16 is capable of providing luminance comparable to a 25-watt traditional halogen lamp at approximately 12% of the power consumption.

The Accu SSL A19 is a dimmable medium screw base 7W LED lamp using five high-power Nichia or Cree LEDs, which provides a very warm 2,700k colour temperature. Dimmable from

UAE - On 4 January 2010, the opening ceremony of the tallest tower in the world took place in Dubai. The recently renamed Khalifa tower is 828m and boasts 162 floors. Defying the technical challenges associated with such a construction, EMAAR Group revealed to the world its expertise in building engineering.

With such a building, the associated opening ceremony had to be as impressive as the tower itself. Dubai based Prisme International was selected to organise the complete event. Prisme designed a lighting set based on more than 300 Space Cannon, spread all around the building, and also installed on 17 terraces.

Prisme International has worked for several years with France-based Sonoss, French dealer of Luminex equipment. Following a request from Prisme, Sonoss and Luminex supplied a complete network solution to transport all lighting datas, all over the ground level, and in

UK - Software developer Stardraw.com has appointed audio visual technology distribution specialists RGB Communications as the exclusive distribution channel for their design/documentation and control products throughout the UK and Eire. The agreement is effective from 1 January 2010.

According to Stardraw.com marketing director Rob Robinson, the move represents an exciting step forward. "RGB Communications is a company that specialises in providing solutions, not just products and, having formerly distributed some very well-known control brands for the best part of two decades, what they don't know about control systems isn't worth knowing.

"We are extremely flattered that, after careful deliberation and extensive product evaluation, RGB Communications has concluded that Stardraw Control 2010 is the right platform on which to provide the next generation of control so

UK - The PLASA 2010 Show has officially launched with the opening of a free registration month, enabling early bookers to gain admission to this year's show, at Earls Court on 12 - 15 September 2010, at no charge. Registration is now open on the new-look PLASA 2010 website (www.plasashow.com) with free visitor registration available until 11 February.

Following the highly upbeat reaction to PLASA09, with exhibitors expressing delight at the quality of visitors despite the financial climate, expectations for PLASA 2010 are also high.

Early exhibitor news includes confirmation by Martin Professional; a doubling of stand space by Nexo; and the return after a one-year absence of Zero 88.

PLASA's Events manager Sophie Atkinson said, "Last year the free registration offer helped boost exhibitors' confidence in the show's compelling drawing power by attracting thousands of ear

Sweden - On 10 December 2009, CAST Software's wysiwyg and Vivien - Virtual Event Designer played a major role in The Nobel Prize Banquet. Held annually in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall since 1934, the banquet immediately follows the Nobel Prize Awards. The event is attended by the King and Queen of Sweden and the other members of the Royal Family, plus approximately 1300 guests, including Nobel Laureates, politicians, dignitaries and other VIPs, as well as seen by the viewing audience of a High Definition television broadcast by Swedish Television (SVT).

Lighting designer Per Sundin and production manager Ola Melzig collaborated in advance for the Banquet in 2008 using wysiwyg and Vivien. The two have worked together on the event several times in the past, but last year was the first time Vivien was integrated. There was no hesitation to use the software com

UK - Jonny Gaskell, lighting designer for British electronic duo Orbital, calls the Martin MAC 250 Beam "a new exciting product that has amazing light output for such a small unit."

Gaskell was happy to get his hands on 12 Martin MAC 250 Beams for Orbital's set at London Freeze 2009, a snow sport and music event held at Battersea Power Station in London from 30 October to 1 November.

"It has an excellent fat beam, usable gobos, and lovely colour mixing," he says. "They gave the rig a serious level of punch and stood out over the rest of the rig, giving stadium style fat searchlight beams."

The festival played host to live music acts on two stages with Orbital as headliners. Gaskell had six MAC 250 Beams sub-hung on drop bars across the back of the stage with an additional six on the floor. Also in the rig were 12 Martin MAC 700 Profiles,

UK - BrightSign media controllers are delivering messages about marine biology and conservation at the Sea Life London Aquarium, which re-launched in April 2009 following a multi-million pound refurbishment. Eighty of the BrightSign HD110 units provide interactive looping signage, primarily as electronic labels on tanks that are home to thousands of marine mammals, fish, turtles, seahorse and octopuses.

BrightSign players are delivering the same benefits at other Sea Life attractions throughout Europe, including 15 BrightSigns at Legoland Germany and 30 of the units in Sea Life Portugal.

Each controller drives an HD LCD display built into a bespoke metal enclosure; designed, integrated and installed by audio visual experts Digital Antics. The fish-tank label display is divided into two zones. A narrow menu area shows images of all the species in the particular enclosure whilst

UK - Lighting designer Chad Peters used 28 GLP Impression moving LED lights on his enlarged set, once American band Paramore moved up to arena sized shows in the UK this December.

He sourced the fixtures from Bandit Lites (who hold a rental stock of 60 Impressions), and their chief executive Lester Cobrin comments: "The units are in high demand from many lighting designers - thus we made the decision to invest heavily - a decision which has proved very successful."

Having been introduced to the power of the LED spots by other third party vendors back in the United States, Peters was sufficiently impressed to try them out for the first time with the band Rise Against, when he was covering for a colleague.

"They were asking whether it was a green design and I thought they were talking about the colour of their set until I realised they were concerned with eco-is

Hot News - A major initiative for NAMM 2010 this week will be the introduction of NAMM's H.O.T. Zone which will offer specialised training courses and networking events for music industry professionals in live audio, house of worship and stage and lighting industries.

"NAMM recognises the importance of the live audio, house of worship and stage and lighting industries to the music products industry and welcomes these music industry professionals to the 2010 NAMM Show," says Kevin Johnstone, director of trade shows, NAMM. "This year, we're working closely with a number of partner organisations and media outlets that serve these segments to create a new and valuable education track to meet their needs and giving them even more reasons to attend this year's NAMM Show."

More than 15 industry partners, publishers, organisations and associations will offer a seri

USA - During the holidays, New York City has some of the world's most beautiful outdoor displays. This year, the iconic display of large vintage C7 Christmas light bulbs in front of the McGraw-Hill building at 1221 6th Avenue has gone green. The traditional display has been replaced with a giant string of 31 LED holiday lights. PRG Scenic Technologies partnered with the designers from American Christmas, a leader in holiday décor and installations, to build and install the massive display.

"We initially pitched the new design to our client, the Rockefeller Group, owners of 1221 6th Avenue," said Lance R. Caffrey, chief production officer, American Christmas. "The Rockefeller Group puts a lot of emphasis on being LEED-certified and being environmentally aware, so as a nod to that, we suggested they change the existing display of conventional holiday lights t

UK - As part of an ongoing relationship with Songtime Theatre Arts, London Light has again supported the theatre school with its latest production, Hairspray The Musical. London Light provided full support services from lighting design and pre-production to rental, get-in, operation and get-out.

The production was presented at the Magna Carta School theatre in Surrey, which presented a number of challenges including power, space and access restrictions during school hours.

Lighting designer Andy Vere explains: "We had a very short time in the theatre before the first performance so we arranged to do a pre-rig on the Thursday night, leaving the Friday night for focusing and plotting. Then the cast was onstage at 11am on the Saturday for re-blocking before the first performance at 8pm.

"Having pre-plotted the show back in our offices meant the only touch ups t

USA - Following successful discussions at PLASA 09 Multiform Lighting has appointed Apollo Design Technology based in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis as its US distributor of LED lighting and controllers for the Stage and Architainment markets.

Apollo will be exhibiting at the Big City Bash 14 January and at Super Saturday on 16 January in Atlanta, Georgia.

On display for the first time in the US will be the latest LED luminaires from Multiform, the MultiSpot HP and MultiBeam HP. Rated at 27W and 54W respectively these fixtures use 3W Multricel LEDs to produce a uniform, shadow free, colour output. Fitted with interchangeable lenses they can provide beam angles of 25, 40 and 60 degrees.

Manufactured from rugged aluminium extrusions and galvanised steel they are equipped with a combined hanging bracket/floor stand, safety cable and designed for DMX or standalone operation making the

USA - The exterior of the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles was awash in colour and patterns recently for the LA Philharmonic's Annual Gala. In concert with the energy of music director Gustavo Dudamel, lighting designer Raymond Thompson (Images by Lighting) created vibrant colour and pattern combinations using Martin MAC III Profile luminaires to give the iconic concert hall a glowing effect.

Thompson's lighting rig, supplied and operated by Kinetic Lighting of Los Angeles, consisted entirely of new luminaries including the MAC III Profile, LED sources, and other automated lights. Thompson sought a rig that featured LED, but also needed a luminaire that could handle the long throw distance and challenging surface of the building and turned to the MAC III.

Thompson comments, "We had to project colour and patterns from the east side of G

UK - Belfast based lighting rental company Production Services Ireland (PSI) supplied lighting, rigging and crew for the 2009 Young Voices Christmas Concert, staged in the city's Odyssey Arena with a lighting design by Joe Byrne.

It was at least the 5th year that PSI has been involved with the Belfast YV Christmas concert, produced by London based Sound & Light Productions and featuring a mass choir of 5000 schoolchildren, plus featured artists which this year included VV Brown and classical superstars, All Angels.

The Odyssey Arena was used in a 'back-to-front' format for this show, with the stage at the opposite end to normal, due to there being more bleacher seating in the rear of the venue to accommodate the enormous choir, which was wrapped around the back and sides of the stage.

This presented its own challenges for the PSI team - who had to light all the choir

Italy - This past fall, Italian singer-songwriter and rock musician Gianna Nannini was out on her 15 date GiannaDream Tour with lighting and set design by Mamo Pozzoli.

Pozzoli incorporated a visually stunning cylindrical LED screen made up of Martin LC Series LED panels into the design. He explains his decision to use the LC panels, "I needed LED panels with a medium pitch between 30 and 60mm to ensure intelligibility and transparency simultaneously. Rental company Giochi di Luce offered me the LC Series so I took the opportunity to test them in combination with Martin's Maxedia media server and Maxxyz lighting console."

The LC panels formed an arcing 6m wide by 4m high cylindrical structure positioned at centre stage, the visual centrepiece of the set.

"With both concave and convex sides facing the audience, in practice we achieved two superimposed sc

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