UAE - Lighting designer Bruno Poet recently turned to Elation Professional’s Proteus line of IP65 luminaires to light the UAE’s 50th National Day Celebration, a technically demanding show that chronicled the country’s history and hopes for the future. The ambitious Golden Jubilee spectacular took place in the remote and harsh terrain of the Hajar Mountains and was both technically bold and emotionally touching. Artistic director and designer was Es Devlin who worked with LarMac Projects, the Official UAE 50th Celebration producer. LarMac enlisted a team of 650 personnel to bring Devlin’s vivid designs to life. “Lighting National Day 50 was a thrilling challenge,” Poet commented. “Es Devlin’s show design was a sculptural form in an unbelievably beautiful setting on the Hatta reservoir surrounded by mountains. The lighting had to bring this sculpture to
Germany - GLP German Light Products is set to launch a new impression X5 fixture on 16 February. Following a preview at the 2021 LDI exhibition in Las Vegas, the impression X5 features “a wealth of new and improved technology gained from countless hours of conversations with users combined with traditional German foresight and precision,” says the company. GLP managing director Udo Künzler and product manager Michael Feldmann will lead the presentations at four different points during the day to capture every time zone, with the impression X5 presented in detail and followed by a live question and answer session afterwards. Registration for for the event and the teaser video is available at https://x5launch.glp.de.
UK - “Absolutely amazing” is how lighting designer Tom Campbell from creative collective MIRRAD describes working with singer-songwriter and poet Arlo Parks (Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho). Her 2021 debut album Collapsed in Sunbeams, produced during the pandemic lockdowns, won last year’s Hyundai Mercury Music Prize for Best Album and she also collected a Brit Award for Breakthrough Artist. Tom started working with the artist mid-2021. The first gig was at Manchester Central for two sold out - socially distanced and masked - nights during Manchester International Festival, for which Tom created an adaptable design that could then be re-scaled in either direction for a string of shows that followed as Parks’ dreamy, relatable, and inspirational lyrics and soulish music and style shot to prominence. At the heart of creating elegant, structured lightin
Israel - When tech giant Rapyd, which provides an API-based fintech-as-a-service, hosted a company rooftop party in Tel Aviv, LEAD selected an array of Claypaky fixtures to pull off one of the most innovative show concepts of the year. Tel Aviv-based lighting and stage designers Omer Israeli and Dor Aichner, who are known as LEAD, utilised Claypaky Sharpy Beams, Mythos II and Scenius Unico fixtures for the event, which kicked off on the roof of Azrieli towers and concluded at Expo Tel Aviv. The fixtures were supplied and installed by Sincopa 2002. Headlined by international DJs Tiesto, Martin Garrix, Armin Van Buuren, Nervo, Skazi and Infected Mushrooms, The Moment party celebrated Rapyd’s employees and the progress the start-up has made this year, including doubling its valuation to $2.5bn. Production company OTD Global was tasked by Rapyd to create an extraor
India - Christie laser projectors deployed for a spectacular projection-mapping showcase on the Secretariat Building in India’s capital, Delhi, have elevated the scale and solemnity of the annual Beating Retreat ceremony to new heights. The North and South blocks of the Secretariat Building are lit by over 40 Christie D20WU-HS laser projectors The captivating visuals, specially designed to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence, complemented the grand ceremony at Vijay Chowk, which included military bands, pipes and drum bands, buglers and trumpeters from India’s armed forces. Held annually on 29 January, the Beating Retreat ceremony is a centuries-old military tradition dating from the days when troops disengaged from battle at sunset. In India, the elaborate military ceremony is conducted to mark the formal conclusion of Republic Day celebrations. O
USA - The DALI Alliance (DiiA), the global industry organisation for DALI lighting control, has revealed the winners of its prestigious DALI Lighting Awards 2021. The awards recognise the best use of DALI lighting control applications and solutions across the world, with an international judging panel of lighting designers, lighting magazine editors, and representatives from global lighting organisations picking the winners. Victorious in the Commercial/Professional category is Helvar for its work on ‘The Spine’, the new headquarters in the north of England (Liverpool) for the Royal College of Physicians. Here, a fully addressable DALI lighting control system ensures optimal user experience and excellent light quality, including defined light levels for the biophilia aspect of the project. The building seamlessly combines artificial and natural lighting to create a
USA - Dodd Technologies, a full-service live events production company in Pendleton, Indiana, near Indianapolis, had a busy start to the year thanks to the College Football Playoff national championship game, which took place at Indianapolis’s Lucas Oil Stadium on 10 January. Dodd worked on several projects associated with the game including a remarkable high-rise ballet lit using Elation’s 50,000-lumen Proteus Maximus. The CFP national championship presented an opportunity for the city to shine. Over the weeklong festivities, Dodd lit up the JW Marriott hotel and Lucas Oil Stadium, along with a series of concerts by national acts that took place at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. One of the more extraordinary events however took place high above Monument Circle on the 701’ tall Salesforce Tower, where a vertical dance troupe performed across the façade of
USA - The Incas revered gold as far more than a symbol of wealth and power. To them, the glittering metal was a gift bestowed directly from the gods that radiated mystical, restorative powers from its shimmering surface. Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru, named after a 15th-century Incan citadel in the Peruvian Andes, opened at the Boca Raton Museum of Art and showcases a collection of 192 gold artifacts crafted by this vanished civilization. The collection of chalices, bracelets, breastplates and other objects beckon visitors to dive deep into the world of the Incas. Embarking on their journey, they enter a collection of immersive walk-through galleries that house these artifacts. Taking up virtually the entire museum on two floors, these rooms reflect Incan life and culture in all its complexity and mystery. Enhancing the transformative power of this
Spain - Showtec stage and effect lighting fixtures were used on Canal Sur where three couples compete against each other in a refurbished Lingo studio. Recently, the first episode of a new Lingo season was broadcast on CanalSur. It is a battle of words between three couples with the aim of raising as much money as possible. The game consists of three rounds and a final lap in which the candidates try to guess as many words as possible. The winning couple eventually takes home the money they have gained during the game. The Lingo episodes are recorded by Loasur Studios. Unicorn and Galdo Media were also involved as co-producers. They have almost completely furnished the studio with Showtec products. They have managed to beautifully combine stage lighting with effect lighting for an atmospheric and vivid impression. What stands out are the beautiful colour
Romania - The 2/3 galeria is a space dedicated to contemporary art with an emphasis on photography, located in Bucharest. The building that houses the art exhibitions was built in 1895 by the architect Wilhelm Bast. After undergoing many transformations, the gallery's founder decided to preserve its historic character by keeping the 19th century exposed brick arches and the natural marble added in the 1970s. The new art gallery was inaugurated in June 2021 and it is characterised by a timeless feeling, combining the historical charm of the Bucharest's Old Town with the novelty of contemporary art. The art gallery aims to feature new artists with a distinctive perspective on the world. The name of the gallery was inspired by the 35mm frame format seen on compact cameras, another tribute to the importance of history in contemporary art. The new gallery has already hosted
Mexico - Daring acrobatic performers are as much a part of a circus as jugglers and clowns. This is especially true at Gran Circo Bardu, which, having no animals in its rink, relies heavily on the feats of physical dexterity by its acrobats to thrill audiences. These nimble artists aren’t the only ones performing delicate balancing acts at Gran Circo Bardu. As a lighting designer at the popular circus, Abraham De La Curz Merida must also walk a tight rope of sorts. With no backdrop or scenery inside the circular rink, he has to create texture with lighting alone; but at the same time, he must also be very careful not to distract the performers as they go through their carefully choreographed routines. Helping him thread the needle between these demands and create visuals that support the stars during a one-hour acrobatic demonstration is a collection of four Rogue
Canada - Laval, Québec-based Creative Lab, which creates lighting and visual installations of all kinds, has invested in 24 Ayrton Mistral-TC LED spot moving lights. The new fixtures have already been put to work on the Montreal Canadiens’ Samedis FANatiques (FANatic Saturdays) pre-game show and on a glitzy auto dealership event. “The Mistrals are our first Ayrton fixtures but certainly not our last,” declares Francis Aubin, president and founder of Creative Lab. “They are also our first moving light purchase. We decided to go with Mistral because the fixtures are well known in the industry by lighting professionals. Mistral is compact, versatile and powerful – the ideal first moving light to add to our inventory and bring more creativity to our design.” Les Samedis FANatiques is streamlined live before each Saturday home game. Featur
Belgium - Production values were ramped up by the organisers of the two-day Rave Rebels XXL extravaganza, staged at Palais 12 in Brussels, celebrating a return to live events for this high energy phenomenon that included production design with lighting and set by Thomas Boets with 200 x Robe Pointe moving lights at its epicentre. The show design brief from the two organisers, Jens Grieten and Nick Ramoudt, who also run the renowned Kompass Klub underground techno venue in Ghent, was to keep it “industrial” - raw, stark, high tech and with a massive impact on 30,000 techno fans over the two nights. Thomas collaborated closely with several creatives including Rene van Dijk, head content creator / VJ and his team, on the overall look of the show, together with lighting programmer and operator Kristof Blancquart and automation designer/operator Rik Uytersprot of Gravit
The Netherlands - The Theatre of Vista College in Heerlen hosted the eleventh edition of Nieuwe Honden. The student-run production featured a plethora of lighting fixtures, consoles and accessories, and LED Screens from Infinity, Showtec, and DMT. Nieuwe Honden 2021 was the biggest production of the year for the Arts, Theatre, and Media Department of Vista College. The previous year’s production of Nieuwe Honden was live-streamed as an alternative to hosting a live audience due to coronavirus restrictions. However, this year’s edition, which ran from 9-11 November, returned to welcome sold-out attendances. An important theme of the Nieuwe Honden production was collaboration, meaning everyone was dependent on one another and had to communicate effectively. This theme was not only limited to the Art, Theatre and Media courses at Vista College, but also various other
UK - A group of enterprising locals have undertaken an initiative to celebrate Bradford’s industrial past and look forward to its future with Bradford is #LiT. A festival of art and illumination, Bradford is #LiT aims to transform the West Yorkshire town’s post-industrial cityscape with light installations ahead of its bid to become Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2025. Towering high above the Bradford skyline, the chimney within the former Albion Mills complex provided the appropriate canvas on which to highlight the wonders of one of Bradford’s industrial relics. To implement the resulting installation, entitled Tapestry of Light (one of the most visited landmarks during the two week festival), Chris Beardwell and his team at Pro Audio Systems (PAS) incorporated four Chauvet Professional Rogue 1 Outcast BeamWash luminaires to accent the structure.
France - A new Anolis LED lighting scheme is illuminating the exterior façade of the Rosary Basilica at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (Sanctuaire de Notre-Dame de Lourdes), a destination calling pilgrims and worshipers from worldwide to the south of France. The new lighting was designed and specified by Bruno Le Vacon, founder of audiovisual design office Blev Organisation and Sébastien Gaye from Ace Event Group. The physical installation of the luminaires - chosen from Anolis’ Divine, ArcPar, Eminere and ArcSource ranges - was completed by Ace Event who are locally based, with the equipment supplied via Anolis France. Each luminaire was individually customised at the Anolis factory in the Czech Republic before dispatch to France. The delicate and meticulous application of light on this special monument was a major challenge for Bruno whose task was
India - Christmas and New Year celebrations in Mumbai were especially dazzling thanks to a light and laser spectacular showcasing the beauty of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a 5.6 km long, eight-lane wide bridge connecting Bandra in the western suburbs of Mumbai with Worli in the south. Spectators in India’s largest city enjoyed the experience in which Claypaky Mythos 2 spotlights and versatile HY B-EYE K25 LED wash lights/beams/VFX projectors played a key role. The span of the bridge was illuminated with a string of lights in a changing array of colours as the towering arches and cables were bathed in rainbow hues. “This was a benchmark holiday event in India for Christmas and New Year’s,” says Pankil Ahuja, sales manager for the Indian sub-continent for AMS-Osram ClayPaky . “The lighting set up and installation happened in just two days. With such a short turn
UK - Hever Castle recently had its façade and gardens beautifully lit by 96 Showtec Helix S5000 RGBW outdoor LED wash lights and 50 Showtec Festoon light Q4 Strings manufactured by Highlite International B.V. STL Lighting Limited supplied its services, decorating the estate in bright and colourful lights for the dark days around Christmas. The double-moated 13th century Hever castle has a rich history. Once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I, it can be found in the village of Hever, about 50km south-east of central London. Nowadays, the castle and its gardens are open to visitors, and accommodation for corporate and private events can be booked as well as hotel rooms. To brighten up the dark days surrounding Christmas, Hever Castle and its gardens were submerged in beautiful festive lighting, provided by STL Producti
Canada - Country Music “rings true wherever you go” James Barker told an interviewer last year. The platinum certified chart-topping star is living proof of that. Born in Canada, the singer/song writer and his James Barker Band embody the heart and soul of the Nashville sound with their raw, down-home style - a brand of music that’s earned them two No. 1 hits along with a Juno Award. Recently, the quartet appeared at London’s Centennial Hall for a country jamboree, Canadian style. Reflecting the upbeat, hard-driving power of the band was an Andrew Dawson lightshow that featured Chauvet Professional STRIKE 1 fixtures supplied by PA Shop Productions. Like the band itself, Dawson’s show thrived on creating a strong connection to the crowd. Toward this end, the young designer from Toronto relied on audience lighting from the eight STRIKE 1 units in his rig.
Australia - Jarrad Donovan from Juxta Design chose a full grandMA3 lighting control system for Hillsong Church’s recent Simply Christmas special production which was staged at The Hillsong Convention Centre in Norwest, Sydney. The vibrant event was slightly different from the usual Hillsong Christmas Spectacular show, both to reflect the ‘mood of the moment’ and to comply with the current Covid protocols, which resulted in a smaller cast and a tighter timeframe for build and rehearsals. That said, the goal of achieving the same high standards and complex production values was still very much the objective for the entire team involved in creating a dynamic, memorable event that wowed both live and streamed audiences. The six 90-minute shows took place over two days and were action-packed with a lively mix of 15 different back-to-back musical perform
UK - The National Trust team at Anglesey Abbey in the Cambridgeshire village of Lode recently opened its gates for its Winter Lights - a night-time trail through the heritage gardens of the listed Jacobean Abbey. Pearce Hire were the clear choice for the Abbey’s events team as they designed and activated the brief for an enchanting 2km lighting and audio nature trail through the grounds and taking in the House, Mill and the aptly named Winter Garden. “We may be better known in the industry for providing technical production support for festivals and tours, but this garden brief really got our creative side going”, says Jim Brown, general manager, Pearce Hire. “This year’s production took on another dimension and we were very happy to embrace this, and work in close collaboration with the team at Anglesey Abbey to help achieve their vision. “
USA - Extreme Lighting & Sound (ELS) recently wrapped up its first season presenting Holiday Wonders at Bowie Nature Park in Fairview, Tennessee. The drive-thru holiday light show featured atmosphere-generating effects from a large amount of Elation lighting gear along with custom pixel products and proved a huge success. ELS was approached by the city of Fairview in September to create and run the show after an initial contractor pulled out, which gave the design and production company only two short months to get everything together. “We agreed to do the Christmas light show but knew we were on a tight schedule as opening day was scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving,” recalled ELS president Austin Grundberg about the start of the project. “We basically put the whole show together in eight weeks from design, product specification/supply and setu
Jordan - Amman Academy’s new theatre space is open for 2022, offering students and educators professional lighting with a range of Strand and Vari-Lite luminaires and control from Signify. The private school, which is renowned in Jordan for its academic excellence, constructed the new theatre space to offer performance, rehearsal, and meetings facilities. Its lighting solution needed to be adaptable, encourage creativity and provide reliable workhorse and effects fixtures. The Academy’s team approached Amman-based International New Technical Est. (INTE), a systems integrator specialising in theatre installations. INTE’s project manager Hashem Nazzal specified a Strand Neo console for control, with the Vari-Lite VL2600 Spot on colour-rich effects duty. “One of the most important requirements of this project was flexibility and effects options, and the VL26
Singapore - Ayrton has announced the further expansion of its international team with the appointment of Vijay Thaygarajoo as regional sales manager for Asia Pacific. The appointment takes effect from 1 February 2022. Vijay brings over 10 years of industry experience in the region, working with Ayrton’s local distributor and as regional sales manager for a number of industry manufacturers. “I am very excited to be joining the amazing team at Ayrton,” says Vijay. “As the RSM of Ayrton, I will be responsible for maintaining and building relationships with current distributors as well as appointing new distributors around the APAC region, with the aim of progressing and further strengthening the Ayrton brand and image in this part of the world. “I’ve seen the quality of Ayrton lighting over the years and am very impressed with the full range of lighting