Ayrton
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Media Partner
Showlight Introduces New Workshops for 2025
Sonja Walker • March 24, 2025
Showlight Introduces New Workshops for 2025
Fresh for 2025, Showlight is introducing a new attraction - an enticing programme of informative, interactive Workshops guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing! These will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 21 May 2025 and will be open to all delegates on a first come, first served basis, with a strong emphasis on student attendance.
The Workshops will be conducted by leading experts in their field and offer unprecedented insights into subjects from the latest technology to personal development. Numbers are limited so delegates will be encouraged to sign up for their choice of workshop via the Whova App when it goes live closer to the date.
Here’s the low-down on Showlight’s inaugural Workshop presentations:
WORKSHOP 1:
Colour and Light
Led by lighting designer, author, and co-founder of Studio School of Design, Clifton Taylor, Colour and Light in the age of LED luminaires will be a practical demonstration exploring design storytelling afforded by today’s high-powered, multi-emitter LED luminaires. Topics will include agreeing on a language of colour, and the limitations and possibilities of working in LED based rigs.
WORKSHOP 2:
Lighting Loopholes
Award-winning lighting designer, Sherry Coenen, has extensive experience working on puppetry and new writing. She will bring this knowledge to her examination of how to use non-theatrical lights in theatrical settings, theatrical lights in ways they weren’t designed for, and other lighting loopholes designed to show how giant dreams can be realised on tiny budgets and other restrictions.
WORKSHOP 3:
Redefining Success!
Founder of an award-winning, women-owned lighting firm, Traci Klainer has over 30 years of experience and more than 100 lighting designs to her name. This workshop will explore what success in lighting and beyond really looks like – and what happens when you start your career wanting to be a Tony award winning lighting designer and end up as an Executive Producer!
WORKSHOP 4:
Developing your own ‘Health & Wellbeing’ workplace strategy
This interactive wellness workshop will be led by the collective skills of Mig Walsh, Brant Thomas Murray, Dr Keili Camille Murray and Grace Halton. Participants will be encouraged to think about their own personal health and wellbeing workplace strategy; learn about emotional intelligence, burnout and the law and policies that can be adopted in the workplace linked to health and wellbeing, and come away with their own action plan to take back into working practice.
WORKSHOP 5:
Understand and Quantify the Visual Appearance and Aesthetic Rendering of Scenic "Objects" under LED Lighting
This workshop will introduce the SceALED project, a university project (granted by the French National Research Agency) aimed at understanding and quantifying the visual appearance of scenic objects under LED lighting, with the intention of creating standards and practical tools for performing arts professionals. It explores how light spectra affects aesthetic perception, develops measurement tools, and applies an interdisciplinary methodology combining artists, engineers, and researchers, and offers the audience the opportunity to participate in a psycho-visual experiment. This workshop will be led by Véronique Perruchon, Noël Richard and Ludwig Lepage.
More information on each of the workshop leaders can be found on the Showlight website at www.showlight.org/workshops
The new Showlight 2025 Workshops are sponsored by Platinum Sponsor, Claypaky, to whom we extend many thanks for their generosity in supporting this new initiative for Showlight.
Showlight 2025 tickets can be purchased now from the Showlight website at www.showlight.org
Hotels can be booked at special rates at www.showlight.org/hotels-travel
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Showlight 2025 has produced a programme full of treats for its delegates with over 30 speakers lined up to bring their expertise to Dijon this May. Tickets are selling fast so don’t delay in securing yours today! Here’s our latest offerings from the worlds of film, live events, large scale art installations and illuminated fashion design! Schrödinger’s Dimmer; controlling the uncontrollable Award-winning lighting designer, cinematographer, writer and director, and fellow of Rose Bruford college, Roger Simonsz , will discuss how difficult it is to achieve the kind of slow lighting changes so easily performed in theatre within the film environment. Using examples from “Engrenages/Spiral” as well as the recent “Piper” his paper explores how to achieve control on location, in daylight, while cueing the sun, with the help of Schrödinger’s dimmer. The Maiden Tower Istanbul - Lighting and Beyond. The iconic Maiden Tower in Istanbul - a symbol of 2,500 years of history - was brought to life through a large-scale immersive outdoor installation, featuring dynamic lighting, lasers, projections, and audio, by German lighting designer, Martin Kuhn . Kuhn’s extensive experience on a wide range of global projects, from concerts and events to museums and architectural lighting, plays into this captivating experience which reimagines the Tower’s legacy with innovative and inspiring storytelling and cutting-edge technology. Beyond Illumination: The Experimental Language of Light in Performance and Public Space Known for his experimental yet assured approach, Jesper Kongshaug has created evocative theatrical landscapes for over 25 years. At Showlight, he will present key examples from his work designing lighting and stage visuals for internationally renowned performance group Hotel Pro Forma , showcasing his innovative approach to theatrical lighting. He will also introduce the Copenhagen Light Festival, which he curates. Reveal the Invisible Reveal the Invisible examines the work of fashion designer/artist Clara Daguin through several projects, collections and collaborations. Clara, whose collaborations with artists, researchers and institutions include Google, Baccarat, Nike, will focus on the process behind the creation of her illuminated silhouettes and the evolution of her work over the past few years. Utilising Local Resources to Benefit Filmmaking Speaking in his native French (with simultaneous translation available in four languages), director of photography Thierry Goron will share insights on leveraging local knowledge and resources to establish a sustainable film industry in emerging countries. He will explore the "can-do" spirit required on set, especially when working in challenging conditions, such as fixing broken lights, cameras, and essential equipment, becomes part of the process. Over time, this necessity fosters a resourceful approach, leading to the development of locally built equipment using available materials and expertise. A Solstice Adventure at the End of the Inhabitable World A welcome return of speaker from 2017, David Duffy will enchant us once again with his lighting of puppetry, this time illustrated by a site-specific adaptation of Kneehigh and Little Angel’s classic production, A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings , which took place on the stroke of midnight on the summer solstice, in an Icelandic abattoir. Language is no barrier Historically, Showlight is conducted solely in English but this year, located in Dijon, France and supported by French lighting manufacturer and Headline Sponsor, Robert Juliat, we look forward to welcoming many local delegates as well as international attendees. As a result, we are offering simultaneous translation of the Papers and Q&A sessions across four languages. Delegates can choose to listen – and ask questions - in English, French, Italian and Spanish, via the AI translation system, Interprefy . This instantly translates to both voice and text, which can be listened to on your headphones or read on your smartphone or iPad. Q&A sessions will also be translated on demand. Ticket holders to Showlight can request additional languages at time of purchase by contacting info@showlight.org . Don’t miss your chance to be part of Showlight yourself! Tickets for Showlight are on sale now and can be purchased from the Showlight website at www.showlight.org. A list of discounted hotels is also available ( www.showlight.org/hotels-travel ) on a first come, first served basis, so be quick to make your booking! Finally, don’t forget you can sign up to the Showlight Mailing List to hear the latest news as it breaks.
The deadline for Showlight’s new Emerging Professionals Bursary/Scholarship Scheme has been extended to Monday 31 March 2025 . Aimed at early career freelance professionals to help make attendance more affordable, this is a fantastic opportunity to win a ‘scholarship’ that gives you access to some of the most creative minds in the entertainment lighting industry. Successful applicants will have free access to Showlight 2025’s full schedule of activities (ticket price normally €580.00) including the Papers Sessions, Workshops, Exhibition, Welcome Reception (in Dijon’s ornate, historic Salle des États), Company Dinners and the grand Conference Dinner in a glamorous, as yet undisclosed, location! A hotel room will also be included with the bursary and we hope to offer some assistance with travel costs too. “Showlight wants to encourage as many people as possible to be able to attend this unique conference and appreciates that, for those early in their freelance professional career, the cost of attending can be daunting,” says Showlight committee member, lighting designer and President of the ALPD, Rick Fisher. The Emerging Professional Bursaries is a completely new initiative, made possible by the generous support of Showlight 2025 Diamond Sponsor, Ayrton. It complements Showlight’s already well-established Student Sponsorship scheme to enable an even greater range of delegates to participate and enjoy this unique quadrennial networking event. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best! Showlight only comes round once in every 4 years. Submit your application now via the Showlight website at www.showlight.org/bursaries . Just send us your resume/CV and 200-word statement describing your career and interests, and why you would like to attend Showlight 2025 in Dijon this May. The Headline Sponsor for Showlight 2025 is Robert Juliat, and we would like to acknowledge the amazing support Showlight receives from all its sponsors, a list of whom can be found on the website at ( www.showlight.org/our-sponsors ). Their generosity allows Showlight to maintain the standards education, entertainment and networking expected of this unique lighting quadrennial, and we look forward to delivering another sparkling event in May.
The preparations for the Showlight Quadrennial in Dijon in May are gathering speed with the programme of speakers almost complete and logistics rapidly falling into place. Key to the spirit of Showlight is the support received from our generous Sponsors and Exhibitors without whose valuable contributions Showlight, as an entirely voluntary organisation, could not take place. We are excited to welcome no less than 22 Sponsors and 30 Exhibitors to Showlight 2025, with more still to come, bringing their products and their presence to enrich the event over the three exciting days. The Exhibitor Hall is the centre of the networking space, where all delegates and speakers mix in between Papers Sessions to exchange ideas, meet colleagues and make new contacts. The emphasis is on networking, and talk revolves around shared ideas and innovations: LDs can give direct feedback to manufacturers, students can chat with designers, manufacturers can learn from lighting practitioners - established and upcoming - all in an informal, convivial atmosphere. New for this year, as an addition to the traditional stands, are sponsored tables amongst which delegates are invited to sit and chat over lunch and tea breaks. Our current lineup of exhibitors looks like this: AC-ET, ACT, Astera, Avolites, Ayrton, Cameo, Canto USA, CAST Group, Chauvet, Christie Lites, Claypaky, Coemar, Elation, ETC, FACE, Groupe Novelty, Highlite, LSC, Lumen Radio, MA Lighting, Martin Professional, PRG, Prolights, Robe, Robert Juliat, Roxxlight, Schnick Schnack, Starway, Vari*lite and Vectorworks. A special thanks go to these exhibitors, all of whom also sponsor a student or young professional to attend free of charge, giving them unprecedented access to those at the very heart of our industry, and the profession they have chosen to join. Exhibitor spaces are now nearly sold out, but there are still a few booths and some table top options available. Contact Matt Hallard on exhibit@showlight.org if you want to be part of this unique lighting forum. We also want to thank our unprecedented number of Sponsors for Showlight 2025 who currently look like this Headline Sponsor: Robert Juliat Diamond Sponsor: Ayrton Platinum Sponsors: Chauvet, Claypaky, Elation, ETC, MA Lighting, Robe and Starway Palladium Sponsors: Cameo and FACE Gold Sponsors: Avolites and PRG Silver Sponsors: Ambersphere Solutions, 3LR, Christie Lites, Martin Professional, Schnick Schnack, Vari*lite and zactrack. Bronze Sponsors: AC-ET and LSC We particularly want to thank our Media Partner, LSi, which does an immense amount of administration, marketing, design and backroom work for us, and to our treasured Media Supporter, Lighting and Sound America, without both of whom, Showlight would be whistling in the dark! Don’t miss your chance to be part of Showlight yourself! Tickets for Showlight are on sale now and can be purchased from the Showlight website at www.showlight.org/tickets . A list of discounted hotels is also available ( www.showlight.org/hotels-travel ) on a first come, first served basis, so be quick to make your booking! Finally, don’t forget you can sign up to the Showlight Mailing List to hear the latest news as it breaks.
Showlight Sponsors & Supporters:
