On 24th March Recolight are hosting a conference to highlight how the lighting industry can adopt Circular Economy principles. The event, which takes place in London Docklands, is intended to highlight the commercial opportunities in ending waste and obsolescence for lighting products.

The conference reflects the increased need for the industry to deal with the impact of its products and practices on the environment.

The one-day discussion will bring together Government, manufacturers, specifiers, and end users to discuss the steps that all must take to improve their environmental performance. Delegates will also hear of the legislation and standards that is likely to drive these requirements.

Why this is important to lighting

Transformation to a circular economy is increasingly being seen as essential if manufacturing is to be sustainable. This will become ever more important as demand for resources rises, and energy costs increase.

With changes to legislation, lighting producers should start considering how some of the principles might be included in the products they design and manufacture. The earlier companies start, the more likely they are to be able to meet/exceed the new requirements. Those companies that have embraced a circular approach are likely to be more competitive.

A conference designed by lighting industry experts

Recolight has worked with leading lighting industry experts to design an agenda covering all aspects of the Circular Economy for lighting. The conference will be introduced and chaired by Ray Molony, Independent Consultant to the Lighting Industry.

The programme for the day

The programme starts by introducing the Circular Economy, learning about the opportunities and a recyclers perspective. Defra, LightingEurope and Recolight will cover legislation; what you need to do now and future legislation for the UK and the EU. John Bullock of The Light Review will challenge participants to be more sustainable. We have a panel discussion led by Ray Molony exploring the perspective of end users. How can they be incentivised to use lighting that minimises material use and is both recyclable and reusable?

The programme rounds off with presentations from lighting designers and lighting producers who have adopted circular economy principles into their projects and products.

Book your conference place

Recolight are a not-for profit organisation, funded by Lighting Producer Members. The conference is also operated on a not-for-profit basis, and any surplus will be donated to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

The conference is free to Recolight Producer Members and £75 for all other attendees. It’s supported by the Lighting Industry Association. Book your conference place today.

Visitors to the headquarters of Osram Licht AG in Munich can experience a multi-media journey through the history of the company: from the beginnings in 1906 to the present day. The ‘Osram World of Light’, a blend of showroom, workshop and event location has won this year’s ‘Sinus – Systems Integration Award’. The client and the contractors, Ranger Design (general contractor), Techniz Ingenieurbüro (technical media planning) and other companies, will be presented with the award at the coming Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt am Main on 2nd April.

Sinus honours outstandingly creative and artistic achievements and solutions with respect to the use of technology in audio visual installations. The award has been given annually at Prolight + Sound since 2004. The jury and the trustees of the award comprise representatives of the German Media and Event Technology Association (VPLT), the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC) and other experts from the sector, as well as representatives of the trade press and Messe Frankfurt.

World of Light: from the light bulb to the modern LED

The flexible and elaborate showroom reveals the spectrum of expertise and products offered by Osram Licht AG and presents the company as a high-tech supplier with a tradition dating back over 100 years. Covering two levels, this world of infotainment includes a cinema, audio and video content, multifarious lighting units and mist effects. Light can be experienced on an emotional plane in a Light Box – a lighting timeline documents the technological milestones. On the ground floor, a moving glass dividing-wall system permits different room variations: open for press conferences and big events; closed as a versatile workshop area.

The Sinus Award jury was particularly impressed by the multi-functional approach, which permits a wide variety of uses, as well as by the uncompromising execution from the model to finished project, which meets the client’s requirements flawlessly. In this way, the many special challenges have been mastered perfectly, e.g., the integration of the World of Light in existing parts of the Osram headquarters and the planning and installation of a complex media-control system in several different parts of the building.

Involved in the project were:
Osram Licht AG (client)
Ranger Design (general contractor)
Techniz Ingenieurbüro (technical media planning)
3lpi (lighting planning)
Salzbrenner (media systems)
Schindler Lichtdesign (GrandMA programming)
Tricksal (‘Lightelligence’ installation)
Livebau (Light installation)

Prolight + Sound opens its doors from 31st March to 3rd April 2020. Further information about the event can be found at www.prolight-sound.com.

Winkler Livecom of Switzerland has added 200 Elation Professional KL Fresnel™ series luminaires to its inventory, a purchase that gives the full-service event production company an enhanced ability to highlight client brands for maximum impact.

Winkler, based in Wohlen, near Zürich, is one of the largest full service companies in Switzerland, handling virtually all aspects of exhibition, corporate and public events from initial idea to execution. Since its founding in 1996, Winkler has often employed Elation lighting in its broad portfolio of projects, but the KL Fresnel acquisition marks the company’s first purchase of Elation gear.

“We continue to replace our bulb-based static lights with LED versions and invited several distributors to a shoot out here at our facility,” recounts Frank Burghardt, Head of Sourcing at Winkler Livecom. “Elation’s Swiss distributor Cast came with the KL Fresnel 4™ and Kl Fresnel 6™ and in the end it was the price vs performance ratio of the KL series that was the best.”

The KL Fresnel Series is a line of warm-white or cold-white LED Fresnel lights available in 50W, 150W and 350W models. Winkler acquired the 50W KL Fresnel 4 CW™ (50) and 150W KL Fresnel 6 CW™ (150), cold-white LED Fresnel lights with a 5,600K Cool White LED engine. Both luminaires include manual zoom, manual and DMX controlled dimming, and silent operation mode. Barn doors and gel frame holder are also included.

“We decided to invest in the cold-white version and then we can add full CTO or half CTO filters when we need a warmer look. It was a smart solution and gives us the flexibility to cover a wider color temperature range,” states Burghardt, adding that they also preferred the KL Fresnel’s manual dimmer knob on the back of the fixture, which was important as it allows Winkler to employ them more easily as a stand-alone light.

Useful for a variety of purposes including keylight, washes and front light, Burghardt says the quality of light was also impressive. “The output was excellent and the light was very homogeneous, also at the sides of the beam where it appeared very uniform and without a green or red tint. I should also mention the build quality. When you handle the lamp, you can feel that it is solidly built. There was really nothing on it that we would have changed.”

Pictured (L to R): Frank Burghardt, Reto Engler and Roni Huber of Winkler

Defra have now confirmed that from the end of 2020, most retailers will be required to provide in-store WEEE takeback. The new requirement will apply to all retailers and wholesalers with annual sales of electrical items above £100,000. Online retailers without physical retail premises, and retailers with sales below the cut off can avoid the need to provide in-store WEEE takeback, by joining the “Distributor Takeback Scheme”.

Commenting on the news, Recolight CEO Nigel Harvey said “For several years, The UK’s recycling rates for waste electricals and lamps have stalled. It is well established that to increase rates, consumers must have access to convenient drop off points. But until now, an opt out meant that virtually all retailers could avoid their legal obligation to provide instore collection. The removal of that opt out at the end of this year should do much to increase WEEE and lamp collections.”

He added “The legal obligation to collect only applies where a customer buys a similar product to that being returned. However, the challenge of enforcing this strictly probably means many will simply offer the service to all customers.”

“This change means that from next year, that any retailer selling lamps will be required to provide a waste lamp takeback service. That is good news. And although the requirement will also apply to electrical wholesalers, most of them already offer Recolight’s waste lamp takeback service.”

Announcing the decision, the Government’s spokesperson said “…this decision has been taken in the context of new approaches being required to meet the more ambitious and challenging collection targets in 2020 and beyond.”

Het Kunstuur (the Art Hour) is a new ground-breaking ‘interactive’ gallery concept developed by art collectors and entrepreneurs Hans & Joost Bourlon, presented in the charismatic former Holy Ghost Chapel in the historical heart of Mechelen, Belgium.

Thirty-two priceless Belgian paintings from the 19th century are displayed in three gallery spaces… where their stories are told by a series of well-known Belgian personalities.

Creative lighting design and media specialist Painting with Light (PWL) was asked to manage and co-ordinate and design the technical systems and control for lighting, video, audio and humidity control for this intricate and unique project.

Visitors wear headsets and listen to an audio track as they move around the spaces, prompted to stop/move on cue to designated areas by the audio track, where they watch and listen as the AV effects play out. The walk-through lasts exactly an hour, which inspired the name.

This lively and innovative presentation concept is intended to appeal to both established art lovers and also attract new audiences and young people who are interested in learning, but who might not visit a conventional gallery set up.

In the first two rooms, each painting is introduced, and its story told by the designated personality, who appears as a life-size projected video on the gallery wall right beside the painting!

Rooms 1 and 2 are divided by an electric curtain which tracks aside at the appropriate moment.
The third room, situated in the old chapel itself, is a darker, more intimate club-like space, where visitors hear but don’t see the narrator while experiencing an immersive light show produced to compliment the art. This altered setting allows a complete change of perspective.

PWL was asked onboard by concept designer Wouter Verhulst of King Concept who created the original idea and storyline with the Bourlon Brothers and designed the gallery layout.

Wouter specifically wanted to work with a company known for technical and creative ingenuity, lateral thinking and with the resources, skills and flair to make an art gallery come alive in a stimulating theatrical way.

PWL’s team drew from its vast knowledge of creating entertaining ‘visual experiences’ across multiple disciplines – theatre, live shows, attractions and themed environments, visitor centres, etc. All of these influenced the delivery of a dynamic technical solution for Het Kunstuur in Mechelen.
The first phase of the design process saw the whole museum virtually created in WYSIWYG and presented as a VR experience to the project’s initiators.

The PWL team, under the creative direction of Luc Peumans, was led on site by Céline Cuypers who project managed delivery of the full technical design including the projection system, creative lighting, audio track and control, plus specification, procurement and commissioning of all equipment and its implementation.

The lighting layout was produced in collaboration with PWL’s lighting experts Peter Van Den Bosch and Ashwin Coelho. All equipment was installed by Sam van Maele and his team from EVM Electrical Solutions.

The first and second rooms contain 18 paintings, and each has a personal story told by its associated personality.

The Bourlons themselves produced the video content which is stored on Brightsign players and triggered remotely during the show.

The projections are fed by four Panasonic Space Player 2000 Lumen devices attached to the cable management ducting. These were picked for their small size, light weight and discreet appearance, plus the intensity – a combination of illumination and image projection – as well as their networking capabilities.

The content was keystone corrected and adjusted using a disguise d3 media server and Adobe After Effect tools by PWL video specialists Katleen Selleslagh and Sina Sohn.

The paintings are mounted on black walls and lit from behind with RGB LED strips which change colours to generate an ambient light adjusted to each work’s specific colour palette.

The profile lights in this area are 19 x Showtec Performer Profile Minis, a very small 30W COB LED luminaire, installed with 25 – 50° zoom lenses and the shutter module option for fine-tuned focusing on the paintings.

PWL Lighting expert Martijn Smolders was responsible for focusing the lights and ensuring that the framing and highlighting were adjusted precisely to visitor’s viewing angles and that reflections were minimised.

The decor in the first two rooms includes custom black textile wall cladding provided by Showtex. To improve the overall atmosphere and give viewers a sense of orientation, linear lighting was implemented at the bottom of these walls.

Electric curtains between the rooms guide visitors to the right location at the right time, their movements controlled via Brainboxes IP relays triggered by the master Christie Pandora’s Box Widget designer control system … which also fires and syncs all the audio, video and lighting cues.
This was selected as the most flexible and adaptable option for integration of all these control elements.

Entering the third room, visitors pass into the original chapel building itself, with its distinctive high-vaulted ceiling and eye-catching wooden roof frame and beams. The decor in this room is built by Roux Meubelprojecten, and the large paintings are positioned on easels around the room on a wooden platform with integral linear lighting that heightens the theatrical ambience.

The paintings in the chapel are highlighted with 14 x Chauvet Ovation lighting fixtures installed with beam-clamps in the roof. This variable white ellipsoidal style light has a 6-colour LED engine and was ideal for the application as the colour can be adjusted to the colour temperature of the paintings.
One extra Ovation is used to simulate a big stained-glass window utilizing the combination of a printed sticker and a gobo to highlight the appropriate parts.

The roof itself is feature-lit with GVA Lighting STR9s LEDs, with more of these used for grazing up the walls.

The mood shifts from a cool, contemporary art space to a darker, more colourful, funky vibe creating a totally different context for imbibing the art. It’s a nice playful surprise element that pops out at the end of an already interesting journey.

PWL’s lighting scheme for the reception area lighting utilises AEG TLR05 LED pendant lights and Iguzzini wall washers.

The lighting intensity is adjusted to the time of the day following an external light sensor. Visitors arrive in the reception zone, are issued with their headsets and audio players provided by guideID and wait for their allotted timeslot to start the 1-hour tour.

At the start of the tour, the audio is synced via a timecode signal that chooses the right start to the audio track. During the gallery’s opening hours, tours commence every 20 minutes. A countdown in the entrance hall indicates when the next ‘show’ is going to start and when the time arrives, the entrance door opens automatically, and the experience can start.

Everything is controlled from a central control room.

Lighting was programmed by Céline together with intern Dorian Stevens using grandMA onPC software in combination with a grandMA 2-port node.

The main show control was programmed by Céline using Widget Designer which sends triggers to the lighting cues on the grandMA, the Brightsign media players and the Ethernet-to-GPIO modules. These modules read the control buttons of the reception desk and accordingly switch on/off the humidifier/dehumidifier outlets.

Shows start at fixed times throughout the day, triggered by computer’s clock. The right timecode tracks are sent to the syncing modules of the audio system to ensure that video, audio and lighting are always working together, ensuring that a stable temperature and humidity levels are maintained for the paintings.

This application has been developed with BMK Solutions and integrated into the main Widget Designer application.

PWL’s CEO and creative director Luc Peumans commented, “Delivering this project to the clients hands is another milestone in the 20 year history of Painting with Light.

“In that time we have developed our know-how about how to combine creative and technical services for the ‘entertainment experience’, and for this specific project, our client had some extra challenges – the concept of visitors spending maximum one hour in the museum and
focussing their attention on one painting at a time together with timing, lighting, audio and guest flow were all key.

“Thanks to the talents of our multidisciplinary team and our spirit of pushing the boundaries Painting with Light could deliver total show control for this unique experience. Our project manager Céline challenged herself to provide Het Kunstuur with full AV show control including automatic light settings, video projections and visitor guidance plus the correct humidity factors to protect the paintings.

“I’m very proud of all these achievements.”

Check out this video on the project: https://youtu.be/I0nonIjf7JE

Photos: courtesy Painting with Light

A talented group of people belong to the Taunton Amateur Operatic Society. Not only are they skilled thespians, many also excel in costume design. So proud were they of the colourful garb they wove for a recent production of Cats, that they came to rehearsals in their finished show attire. In so doing, they provided Chris Sealy with a wellspring of inspiration to draw upon when lighting their production at the Brewhouse Theatre.

“The Cats costumes were amazing,” said Sealy. “I was lucky because the cast wore them to the rehearsals. So when I went to watch, I was able to see them in the flesh, which aided me greatly in selecting colours for my lighting. Every cat in the play tells a different story, each with a different feel, and that of course is tied tightly into the different costumes.”

Helping Sealy accent the costumes and enhance the unfolding narrative on stage with light was a collection of six CHAUVET Professional Maverick MK2 Profile fixtures supplied by Bright Production Services. Hung on overhead electrics, the 440W LED fixtures were used as as a primary light source.

Adroitly mixing colours, Sealy relied on the fixtures not only to light the play’s memorable characters, but also to bring out the unique personalities that lay within their costumes, using cool whites to accent the tuxedoed ‘Mr. Mistoffolees,” casting evocative hues on striped felines, and endowing Rum Rum Tugger with a radiant golden glow.

“The colour rendering capabilities of all my fixtures were especially important,” said Sealy. “Coping with the mood changes in Cats is a challenge. Oftentimes, I would get around this with a colour change, or a shift from front light to side light.

Although the captivating colors he created were essential to Sealy’s design, they were by no means the only trick up his sleeve. “Basically, all of the Maverick’s many features came into play,” he said. “I created moods using them as back lights. I used their gobos to add texture to the stage one moment, then called on them to serve as beams the next.

“As far as optics go, the Mavericks were fantastic,” continued Sealy. “The shuttering is also a fantastic addition in a unit of this size. One of my favourite looks was the square area on stage that I created for a tap dancing section with the character Jenny Anydotts. It took the look from a comfortable chair to evoke the appearance of a stage. The MK2’s gave such a crisp look. Then to close it back down at the end was perfect.”

Given the spatial configuration of the Brewhouse Theatre, Sealy also appreciated the ability of the Maverick MK2 Profiles to focus light. “This venue is very wide, but not very deep; plus, it lacks height,” he explained. “The theatre also has a second level, which made things even more challenging. Narrowing down the stage for intimate moments and trying to light a small area without spillage was a concern, but the MK2s helped immensely.”

Also, of great help to Sealy were his many colleagues in the production, notably sound technician Dan Hobbs and Joe Rockett of Bright Production Services. “This was a wonderful group to be around,” he said. “We all took great pride in our accomplishment. This is a fast moving play, but there were moments when time seemed to freeze, and you saw that everything you envisioned just came together perfectly. It was a good feeling.”

Photo Credit: Clayton Jane Photography

Caption: The FIG19 balloon festival provided the setting for Verge Aero’s sophisticated drone light show technology. © Verge Aero

Verge Aero, a specialist in high performance drone light shows, has achieved an aerial first in Mexico, delivering one of the country’s first ever drone light shows. Working with local partner Sky Precision, Verge Aero provided a system of 150 drone lights to create moving, colour-changing pictures in the sky to open the performance by Dutch DJ Martin Garrix, marking Mexico’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) at the FIG19 hot-air balloon festival.

Founded in 2002, the FIG (Festival Internacional del Globo) hot-air balloon festival, which takes place each year in the city of León in central Mexico, has become one of the leading balloon events in the world. This year, organisers were keen to provide a cutting-edge visual treat for visitors and called on Sky Precision to deliver it. Taking up the challenge, specialists from Verge Aero and Sky Precision created custom choreography to accompany a set of four songs, including an opening number by Mexican guitar maestros, Rodrigo y Gabriella.

Escandra Salim Alle, CEO of FIG says, “We are excited to have hosted the first drone show ever here in Mexico. The show content was amazing, Verge Aero did an excellent job. The enormous crowd loved the drone show and our social media had a blast!”

As with every public drone light show, safety was the primary concern for all involved. Emerging from their protected safe landing zone, the drones took to the air to create colourful, dynamic, pre-choreographed movements and shapes including guitars, balloons, flowers – and, of course, the iconic, grinning Día de Muertos skull – in the sky above the performance stage.

Israel Canino, CEO of SkyPrecision says, “We are really satisfied by the professionalism and responsiveness shown by Verge Aero. They performed an amazing show, no matter the changing circumstances in a short time. We’ll definitely keep working with them on many shows in the future.”

This ground-breaking aerial performance delivered an unforgettable treat for the audience. At a festival where balloons of all colours, shapes and sizes fill the daytime sky, Verge Aero and Sky Precision showed that airborne entertainment of a different kind can now fill the night-time sky.

PHOTO CAPTION: Joint winner of the Michael Northen Award for Lighting Design, Lucia Sanchez Roldan, receives her award from ALD Chair, Johanna Town.

Following this year’s rebrand of the ALD’s Awards, to become the ALD Awards for Excellence, the Association is delighted to announce the winners in each category, including the newly targeted award, The Fred Foster Award for Production Electrics, which was created to balance the recognition of talent demonstrated across the membership profile.

Fittingly, the winners were announced at the Annual Lighting Lunch held at London’s Victoria Park Plaza in December. The awards are a celebration of imaginative and creative lighting and video production and represent a chance for young designers to showcase their talent, bringing their work to the attention of experienced lighting and video designers, as well to the wider reach of industry professionals.

The coveted Michael Northen Award for Lighting Design was this year awarded to two outstanding winners. Named in honour of the first credited lighting designer in the UK and his work on the “The Mousetrap” which can still be seen in London’s West End today, joint winners were Lucìa Sanchez Roldan from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art whose work the judges thought ‘beautiful… with strong design, clear choices, and great angles’ and Rose Bruford’s Ryan Joseph Stafford, who was commended for his ambition to create different looks for each piece, keeping only side light as the constant.

ALD Chair, Johanna Town, presented Lucia with her prize, which alongside a copy of Michael’s iconic book – ‘Northen Lights’ and a £500 cash prize, has this year been upgraded to include a 512 ETCnomad™ Package, a one-year Vectorworks license, and a six-month mentoring scheme with a team of industry professionals. Ryan received the same prize but was unable to make the event due to pre-existing work commitments.

LIPA’s Tracy Gibbs proudly walked away with the Blue-I Media Award for Video Design, presented by ALD president, Richard Pilbrow. The judges thought hers a beautifully presented portfolio that really conveyed how she liked to work as well as the end results. The award for the video production category has also been enhanced to be more relevant and alongside a £500 cash prize Tracy also won a £1,250 hire credit from the sponsors towards her first commercial venture as well as the six-month mentoring scheme with a team of industry professionals.

The first ever winner of the Fred Foster Award for Production Electrics, sponsored by ETC, was Rohan McDermott of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, who could not be at the event to claim his prize in person. The award was presented by ETC’s Regional Sales Manager for Ireland, & UK Rigging, Mark White, a friend and colleague of ETC’s legendary CEO, Fred Foster, who sadly passed away in February 2019.

Rohan’s former tutor, Guildhall’s Nick Peel collected Rohan’s award, comprised of a £500 cash prize, a 512 ETCnomad™ package, a one-year Moving Light Assistant software license, a one-year subscription to the Association’s PLI insurance alongside the six-month mentoring scheme with a team of industry professionals. The judges remarked that Rohan’s documentation was outstanding.

Johanna Town commented, “With the annual lighting lunch growing in such proportions, with this year being the largest gathering to date, it is an honour to award and introduce the best up-and-coming talent before the wider realm of lighting industry professionals.

The ALD Awards for Excellence not only provide an important launchpad for young would-be professionals but also provide a valuable opportunity for feedback on and improvement of a working portfolio which remains a mainstay for the acquisition of quality work in theatre.”

Steve Huttly, ALD Awards committee member and head of this year’s judging panel, commented, “Judged by a panel of eight leading practitioners, it was really hard to pick just one winner in the awards because the quality of the entries was so high. In the end, the panel believed the only fair outcome was to award a joint first prize for the Michael Northern Award for Lighting Design.”

Zumtobel’s luminaires have created the ideal lighting solution for The George Building and Frestonia apartments, phase 3 in the Nottingdale Village development, London. With a brief to provide a lighting system to work in harmony with exposed concrete that would give an industrial look and feel to the space, Zumtobel worked closely with AHMM Architects to select the perfect luminaires for the project.

Zumtobel have been involved throughout all phases of the development which started ten years ago with the landmark Yellow Building, a mix of commercial and residential development that recalls the area’s industrial heritage. A substantial development located in a vibrant and ever-changing part of West London, it contains small work units, cafes, offices as well as private rental flats and houses an original Warhol and Sarah Lucas artwork in the ground floor reception area. The idea of the project is to create an office led campus that works for a variety of creative and fashion industries.

Surface mounted ECOOS LED illuminate the open office areas, used in double lengths with a PIR infill. ECOOS utilises a micro-pyramidal optic with multi-layer construction for defined emission with to provide a UGR of < 19, coupled with a comfortable colour rendering of Ra>80. The reception has been designed to give the impression of a ‘gallery’ space. Many of the works of art are stored within the space. VIVO LED medium spotlights were the ideal solution for the illumination of this area due to their stabilised colour temperature optimised for efficient and high-output accent lighting. The spotlight head rotates through 360°, pivots through 90° and incorporates a polycarbonate front ring that provides excellent glare control. VIVO LED has a long service life of 50,000 hours for low maintenance and passive cooling is achieved by an innovative thermal design. The VIVO spotlights are mounted on a ‘cast-in’ track.

Zumtobel’s RESCLITE emergency LED spotlights with finely optimised optics have also been installed throughout the building to offer maximum efficiency and optimal light distribution with minimum energy consumption. This emergency solution can be perfectly adapted to suit the requirements of different spatial environments and trusted to maintain maximum safety in a long list of applications. Zumtobel have also provided all the ‘Exit’ signage for the project.