ALD names 2018 Michael Northen Awards winners
- Details
The awards offer an opportunity for students leaving education to gain practical skills and experience in creating a portfolio that sells their design ideas. The strongest lighting or video designs are then showcased to experienced lighting and video designers and the wider industry.
The Michael Northen Award, named in honour of the first credited lighting designer in the UK and his work on the The Mousetrap, was awarded to Sophie Bailey of Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. The judges described her design as ‘sculptural and controlled’.
Johanne Jensen (Royal Central School of Speech & Drama) was awarded the ETC Award for Excellence in Lighting Design. The judges felt the process was presented well and praised the use of light.
Bethany Gupwell of Royal Central School of Speech & Drama (see LSi July’s Early Stagers) walked away with the Francis Reid Award. The final imagery of Gupwell’s designs was thought striking, three-dimensional and with faces well lit.
The Excellence in Video Design Award was presented to Ruben Plaza Garcia of Rose Bruford College. The judges said his portfolio contained a good range of images and especially liked the combination of animated versus traditionally scenic content.
Johanna Town, ALD chair, comments: “The value of collating your design work to be assessed by - and to gain insightful feedback from - professional judges, cannot be overestimated. This year’s entries were all remarkable and it was very hard to come to a final selection. We were also pleased to see a number of entries from non-drama schools: from practitioners who are just enjoying working with light and stage design.
“I hope we see more of these entrants in the future. It’s been an honour to meet this year’s winners and to see what they’re capable of. I know we will all be seeing more of their work in the near future.”
(Jim Evans)
