Organised in co-operation with the Penarth Marina & Haven Residents' Association and Penarth Quay Marina, both architectural lighting and live projections were used across six sites around the Marina including the Harbour Master's Office, the swing bridge and hoist dock.
Course leader Stuart Green challenged the students to produce competing plans for the project, detailing the visual effects they aimed to achieve and the technical facilities required to implement their creations. From these plans, five were selected to be presented as part of the final event.
Successful students included: Nils Voerste and Claire Pinkney who lit the Lock Gates; Charlie Lapage Norris and Cameron Purcell who lit the Town Square, Harrison Coates and Nicholas James who lit the Swing Bridge; Josh Bell and Sadie Rawlings who lit the Town Quay Square; and Oliver Jenni and Charlotte Willing who lit the Hoist Dock.
The centrepiece of the celebration was a projection charting the history of the marina which saw images projected onto suitably flat buildings surrounding the marina in an eye-catching display that brought the area's rich history back to life. The Mayor of Penarth, Cllr Martin Turner, was amongst the guests aboard the naval reserve vessel HMS Express to watch a chronological display of the history of the docks.
Local publication Penarth Daily News reported that "many visitors and residents said the lighting display revealed spectacularly just what could be done with imaginative lighting and thought that something of the kind ought to be installed permanently in the marina as a late night visitor attraction."
Second year student Charlie Willing, from Tenby in Pembrokeshire, told The Penarth Times: "We were asked by our lecturer to light up parts of Penarth Marina for its 150th anniversary. We got the hoist dock and we turned it into a burning boat using various lighting effects and a smoke machine."
Ollie Jenni, from south west London, added: "Getting out and doing stuff like this is great. We do a lot of theory but there is also a much more practical side to the course. It allows us to use the sort of equipment that professional lighting directors use and that's great experience for us."
Course leader Stuart Green comments: "I'm very proud of our students for their amazing displays to mark 150 years since the opening of Penarth Dock. We are big believers in getting out, experimenting, and seeing what happens when you put what we are teaching into practice in the real world. We've had a lot of interest and positive comments from passers-by and I'd like to thank the residents and businesses of Penarth Marina for helping us to make this happen."
As well as marking the 150th anniversary of the Penarth Marina, the event kick starts University of South Wales events to celebrate the International Year of Light.
