NAPIT’s new centre of excellence for low carbon technologies, located at its Mansfield headquarters, hasopened its doors to learners, including those wishing to upskill in low carbon cutting-edge technologies. Designed to offer a variety of low carbon training, the centre will offer courses on solar PV, heat pumps, energy storage, and electric vehicles.

“We have created a space for tradespeople to learn about ever developing low carbon technologies which includes the use of all the necessary training rigs and components with an outdoor roofing structure that stimulates real-life conditions for solar PV installations,” states Brett Forster, Head of Training at NAPIT.

For more than a decade, NAPIT has been offering a range of courses with a team of professional trainers who each have many years’ experience. Through its new centre, NAPIT aims to develop a centralised location for learning that brings together many areas.  

In the new hub, learners will be able to take advantage of excellent training facilities that provide real-life work scenarios and will be able to earn industry-recognised credentials upon successful completion.

“As NAPIT is a microgeneration certification scheme provider, offering a route for training, certification and assessment for low carbon technologies all in one place enhances our offering to tradespeople looking to showcase their competence” says Brett.

The centre aligns with NAPIT’s goal of supporting the Government’s initiative to reduce carbon emissions from homes through its Net Zero Strategy.

Frank Bertie, NAPIT Chief Technical Officer adds “Despite uncertainty about the future, it seems clear that the Government is committed to decarbonising homes and that heat pumps are at the forefront of their approach,”

As a result of the decarbonising strategy, it is expected that more people will wish to install low-carbon elements in their homes, creating a demand for installers with the knowledge and skill required to complete such installations.

Frank adds, “There is a pressing need to create a strong and competent workforce that can be relied upon to deliver the installations needed to meet the net zero targets. Our hubs will help support the training needed to develop competency across the country”.

To view NAPIT low carbon training offering and to book a course visit www.napittraining.co.uk or call 0345 543 0330.

 

Photos by Louise Stickland.

The first major live post pandemic corporate event staged in South Africa was organized by international services, trading and distribution company Bidvest for key clients, suppliers and staff. Taking the theme “Future Now”, the large and impressive show returned live after a two-year absence, due to Covid restrictions, staged for the first time at the Time Square Arena in Pretoria with newly appointed CEO Nompumelelo Thembekile Madisa.

Nompumelelo Madisa broke the glass ceiling twice in 2019, both as the first black and the first African woman to be appointed CEO of Johannesburg stock exchange top 40 company Bidvest Group. It is an achievement that has inspired women and the business community across the continent and internationally, signaling a new era of gender empowerment and young new leadership qualities.

It was also her foresight and vision that helped drive investment in the event underlining the importance of having a large and spectacular show to celebrate moving forward from the pandemic, and the challenging time that this has been for areas like entertainment, hospitality and travel.

‘Future Now’ was a special commission for Bidvest created and produced by the multi-award winning team of David Bloch of David Bloch International and Choreographer Debbie Rakusin, who commissioned Gearhouse South Africa as technical supplier together with Pieter Joubert as technical director.

Stage, set and lighting design was delivered by Tim Dunn from nVisible agency, who flew in from the UK to programme and run the show lighting, which he did in close collaboration with Robert Grobler from technical contractor, Gearhouse South Africa (GSA).

Tim and Robert created some truly eye-catching lighting that ramped up the drama and the fun factors with the help of over 250 Robe moving lights!

Previously, Tim has lit the show when living in South Africa and working for Gearhouse, and for this occasion the company supplied additional lighting kit that was added to the substantial Times Square house lighting rig.

This very memorable and emotional occasion resonated throughout the industry as live events cautiously re-start in SA following two years of some of the toughest Covid restrictions worldwide.

Gearhouse Group company Sets Drapes Screens built the set. This comprised of a series of interlocking geometric shapes including three hexagonal thrust stages at the front surrounded by a series of triangular shaped facias outlined in LED tubes which filled the entire width of the room. Upstage was a recessed and raised area that showcased concept segments of some of the production dance routines that were performed by a large cast of over 200 which consisted of dancers, singers, a choir, a local celebrity DJ and speciality acts.

The video elements supplied by Led Vision also spanned the whole width, creating an epic wide-stage reminiscent of the African skies and horizons, and were designed in layers with an elegant 8-way center cluster of LED strip suggesting a powerful, positive South African sun image at the core of the space, also following the shape geometry idea. Along each side of the stage were three levels of video panels, with left and right IMAG screens completing the picture.

“The intention was to use the video to add depth and vibrancy as well as subtlety to the stage – I wanted to get a lot of video in there, but not for it to look overpowering,” commented Tim, which made a refreshing change from a big slab of LED at the back! Video playback content was supplied and operated by Inka Kendzia.

The gala dinner event was divided into three sections – a rousing set of speeches including by Bidvest CEO Nompumelelo Thembekile Madisa (Mpumi Madisa), followed by The Bidvest Show, a high energy performance with over an hour of action created especially for the event with the show’s musical direction by Bryan Schimmel and the show concluded with a concert by international electronic star, Seal.

Throughout the evening, guests were entertained by a fantastic lineup of African singing, musical and dance talent such as Bongi Mthombeni, Corlea Botha and Thembeka Mnguni as well as performing sets from local heroes Encore, a vibrant trio who sing in Setswana and who were hot from their recent Best Group nomination at the 2022 Metro FM Awards. Award-winning music producer and singer Ihashi Elimhlophe also earned his share of the adulation getting everyone moving and grooving with heart-touching lyrics, crisp beats, and soothing voice.

The Ndlovu Youth Choir raised the roof and helped ramp up an exceptional atmosphere with rhythm and soul. They sing in all 11 South African languages including Zulu, Xhosa and English and are part of the Ndlovu Care Group’s globally acclaimed childcare community programme, which aims to ensure that children from disadvantaged communities can enjoy the same level of musical tuition, care and opportunities as others from more affluent places.

With all this diversity and colour onstage, the pressure was on Tim and Robert to pull out all the stops with the lighting. On the second show evening, an Awards section was added to the schedule, recognizing Bidvest staff from Southern Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain and their achievements over the last year.

Tim and Robert’s biggest challenges were ensuring enough lighting to cover the full dynamic spectrum of the show – from the dining to the singing and dancing to the international star performance, and that’s why Tim chose all the Robe moving lights.

“I simply selected the best lights for the design, so there was a lot of Robe on the plot – power, reliability and versatility – everything you need,” he stated, having been using Robe on his work for several years.

The 130 x Pointes were the cornerstone of the lighting design. These were positioned in the air all over the stage, set and risers and were used for everything … from the big bold anthemic rock and R ‘n’ B numbers to the power ballads and the more delicate balletic pieces where the stage space needed to be closed right down.

Every Pointe in the rig was used as a truly multifunctional unit, and they were worked hard. “I still love the Pointe,” commented Tim, ‘it gives so many options in a small package and looks great on any stage.”

The 45 x Spiiders and 52 x BMFL Blades plus 12 x BMFL Spots were the key lights and the main stage lights. With large ensembles of dancers for most of the numbers, they needed the flexibility of having lights from all angles of the rig contributing to the looks.

Two additional BMFL WashBeams on RoboSpot systems were positioned on two of the short downstage trusses rigged with pin spots for the dining tables – and were used for everything onstage including the speeches, with the operators and their BaseStations located backstage at dimmer world.

The 16 x MegaPointes were mounted mainly on the set in between the side LED panels, where they were the main side dancer lighting positions as well as producing cool back lighting effects and back-of-shot eye candy for the cameras.

Tim has used them frequently before, but it was Robert’s first time with MegaPointes. “They are very impressive, especially for dance,” he commented, especially where the lighting had to keep pace with the fluidity and motion of the choreography. He also adds that he looks forward to working with MegaPointes again in the future.

Time was tight for get-in, set up and programming, so Tim and Robert programmed the show simultaneously working on different grandMA consoles in the same session which was extremely efficient and allowed them to establish an excellent creative flow.

Tim looked after all the big looks and key lighting while Robert added detail and “twiddly bits”. Tim commented that while they had known each other for over 15 years when Tim was working in South Africa, this was the first show they have programmed together. “It was a fantastic experience … and I hope we get the chance to do it again!” he concluded, adding that it was also great to be back working in South Africa again and experiencing the special energy, enthusiasm and vibes of the industry here.

The show also reignited the passion and dedication of everyone involved and underlined the amazing skillsets, imagination and teamwork that go into producing truly world-class shows in the region.

It involved the talents and expertise of over 120 technical staff working across all disciplines and “to re-start with something of this scale and profile was a fantastic boost to our SA technical production industry” emphasizes Pieter Joubert who initially started working on the show in September 2021.

Eyal Yehezkely was GSA’s project manager for the event. FOH sound was mixed by Johan Griesel for Seal, and Jakob de Wit for the Gala event and other artists, both using the Times Square PA house system.

All other technical aspects were delivered by the Gearhouse Group of companies, except for Pixel Nation who provided the Watchout system and services for the AV playback and MGG as Inhouse Technical Supplier to Time Square provided rigging and additional lighting support including the 16 x MegaPointes that were so central to Tim’s design.

Ambitious climate targets, sustainable raw materials, advancing digitalisation – what moves society is also reflected in trends. In a constantly changing world, values such as authenticity, longevity and responsibility are essential drivers. Accordingly, Light + Building Trends 22+23 stand for freedom and security in complicated times.

Light is the centre of an intelligently connected world. Digitalisation and holistic thinking are changing luminaire design and will strongly influence it in the future. The designers from the bora.herke.palmisano style agency will present how this is affecting them in daily lectures at Light + Building Autumn Edition in the Design Plaza in Hall 3.1. In addition, the three themes “sensuous + imaginative”, “serious + unfeigned” and “judicious + eminent” are presented in close proximity.

A first look at the three trends 

Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

sensuous + imaginative 

The great inspiration of this theme is digital development. Designers use dreamy renderings and visualisations from gaming worlds as models. From this, virtual furniture and luminaires are created that only go into production on demand. The type of aesthetics changes accordingly. There is experimentation; innovative ideas are implemented. The luminaire forms appear as if they have grown out of organic, amorphous silhouettes. Translucent and satin surfaces take the comfortable lighting experience into the diffuse and dematerialised.

Dream structures for emotional terrains. Nothing is unsettling, everything is in flux. Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

serious + unfeigned

Nature is the inner glow of this theme. Accordingly, sustainability plays a major role. Designers use sophisticated material innovations for their holistically conceived designs. Scientific research on this topic is picking up speed. As a result, the variety of materials designers can use for their creations is growing. For example, fruit fibres are used to make cellulose fabrics that are used in lampshades. Sustainability also implies flexibility. Cable-independent luminaires bring light to wherever it is needed. The colour palette is also determined by naturalness: Warm earth and mineral tones refer to the origin of organic life.

Turning to artisanal creation. Very close to nature. Impulses that last. Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

judicious + eminent 

An elegant, measured style with surprises: The basis is a familiar, geometric design language. Subtle technical details add a touch of novelty. Especially in clear rooms with high design requirements, minimalist lighting objects surprise with interactive sophistication: For example, LED frames can be activated and opened like windows. Classic chandeliers are given new shapes by gravity. Strict lines are balanced out by designers with physical lightness. When it comes to materials, velvety velour looks are predominant. The colour range is elegant with dark and strong nuances, the blue portion is striking. Lighter colours soften linear overall designs.

Style agency bora.herke.palmisano

The trend forecasts for Light + Building are based on worldwide research by the bora.herke.palmisano style agency. On behalf of Messe Frankfurt, the style experts regularly analyse the most style-defining, relevant and trend-setting lighting and luminaire designs. In addition to a concentrated overview of trends and design currents, they offer clear orientation and assistance for product purchasing. Developments thus become visible at an early stage.

Inspiration and all information on Light + Building Trends 22+23 can be found here: http://light-building.com/trends.

The Light + Building Autumn Edition will take place from 2 to 6 October 2022. Parallel to this, the Intersec Forum will open its doors from 3 to 6 October 2022. The Light + Building Digital Extension is accessible from 2 to 14 October 2022.

 

Crestron’s commercial lighting portfolio continues to grow providing even more flexibility for lighting control design.

Crestron Electronics, a global specialist in commercial lighting control, will attend the LightFair^® 2022 trade show and showcase a number of leading-edge product innovations delivering scalable, flexible, and reliable lighting control. LightFair is one of the largest North American trade shows dedicated to lighting and Crestron’s presence supports IES as well as the needs of the commercial lighting industry. By attending LightFair 2022, electrical engineers, lighting designers, architects, agents, and customers are able to experience the new and exciting technologies from leading manufacturers, like Crestron.

“Crestron is committed to supporting the commercial lighting industry with our innovations, but also by attending key events and networking opportunities like LightFair,” says Bill Schafer, Executive Vice President, Commercial Lighting at Crestron. “We are excited to be back in person and speak firsthand with our partners about our latest Zūm portfolio additions.”

Crestron’s robust portfolio of commercial lighting solutions are trusted across iconic stadiums, established retail chains, leading healthcare facilities, and Fortune 500® offices. At the show, Crestron will be debuting twenty new products to the Crestron Zūm^® product line including additional accessories to Zūm wired, a Zūm outdoor system, and Zūm DIN rail solutions. Some highlights of these new features include the ability to create a bridge between Crestron Zūm^® wired and wireless products allowing both topologies to be used in the same space. The introduction of the Zūm outdoor system will bring a much-needed addition to the Zūm architecture enabling wireless connectivity of post-top and site lighting applications.

“Crestron continues to innovate not only to meet the needs of our customers but to exceed them with next-generation technologies that bring modern and practical controls to each application, ”explains Schafer. “Our new solutions enable seamless control over more areas of a project with easy-to-commission products that power the industry forward.”

Crestron’s latest solutions will be on display at Booth #2829 during LightFair. For more information, please visit www.crestron.com/lighting.

 

Premium lighting manufacturer, LEDFlex Group, and lighting design studio, Lichtvision Design, joined forces to host their first collaborative VIP event. Hosted at the prestigious Great Scotland Yard Hotel, guests were welcomed to an evening filled with workshops, canapes, drinks, and plenty of networking. The extravagant cocktail reception was sponsored by Atrium Lighting, Northern Lights and Zico Lighting.

‘Hospitality Light Lounge – A VIP Lichtvision and LEDFlex event’ offered architects and interior designers the opportunity to understand more about hospitality lighting in an evening which inspired education, collaboration and creativity for a variety of people within the design industry. LEDFlex Group and Lichtvision wanted to share their years of hospitality knowledge through conversation, networking and informative workshop style talks.

The talks presented by Laura Čižauskaitė from Lichtvision and Anthony Kerr from LEDFlex covered a range of topics ranging from the pitfalls of poor lighting applications to benefits of building relationships with professional lighting manufacturers and develop abetter understanding of the importance of hospitality lighting when when it comes to curating the perfect ambience.

One of the many highlights of the evening were the interactive pods that were custom made by LEDFlex Group, a standout feature in demonstrating the ways designers could achieve effective lighting in different luxurious environments through applications such as cove, wall grazing and so forth. Guests were able to interact with the pods and the mini environments that inhabited them, allowing for more stimulating experiences to be had.

With over 40 renowned architects, interior designers and press, this truly was an event that not only raised awareness of light butalso enlightened guests about the significance it plays in architecture and hospitality. This was a night to remember with innovative and inspiring talks and a venue illuminated to perfection.

‘‘We are overwhelmed by the attendance and feedback from the Hospitality Light Lounge Event. The guests were fully engagedin an evening of workshops and networking honouring hospitality lighting. Not only did they come away feeling inspired but also enjoyed a fun filled evening.’’, Anthony Kerr, LEDFlex Group.

Laura Cizauskaite, Lichtvision Design who is excited about hosting many more of such events said,“ I wanted to create a differentconcept for future events- an event where people can meet and network with different industries, entertain, learn and visit a newinspiring place. Put all that in one place- and you get a remarkable experience for everyone to remember”.

 

Lighting supplier, Limelite Lighting provided 150 Martin MAC Aura PXL units for the Queen’s Jubilee Thanksgiving Service on Friday 3rd June.

St Paul’s Cathedral is a venue that is steeped in tradition, even when it comes to lighting, the traditional Par 64 has always been the fixture of choice for lighting designers. However, for the Queen’s Jubilee Thanksgiving Service, Lighting Director and Bafta Award winner, David Bishop stepped away from tradition, opting for an all-new LED lighting rig, with the new Martin MAC Aura PXL taking the leading role as the main lighting fixture.

David Bishop explains, “For the Queen’s Jubilee, it was important to maintain the traditional feel and the natural look, yet I wanted to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the lighting rig.

“The new Martin MAC Aura PXL was ideal. The high lumen output, colour rendering, and zoom range is exceptional for such a compact fixture and perfect for this application. It allowed me to have much greater control of the colour temperatures, while the remote controllable fixtures meant our focus session was far quicker because we didn’t have to communicate each par fixture to multiple electricians at height. We could also continue to perfect our focus during camera rehearsals without disturbing the production.”

Gaffer, Mark Newell adds, “Installing any type of lighting rig at St Pauls Cathedral is challenging – the building was simply not designed with us in mind back in 1675!

“Access to the triforium level – where the majority of lighting for events and broadcast is installed – is via a tiny window, just half a metre wide. All the equipment must be winched up the outside of the building, then manoeuvred manually around the Cathedral’s small alleyways. Because the Martin MAC Aura PXL is compact and weighs just 16kg, we could access most areas without too much trouble. Using an all-LED rig also reduced cables and power requirements of this previously power-hungry rig.”

Limelight’s investment into the MAC Aura PXL has proved very popular for numerous events, sub hires and broadcast productions.

“The MAC Aura PXL has been a fantastic addition to our hire stock,” says Matthew Mountier, Limelite’s co-director. “Being a compact, yet versatile moving light is very appealing for many of the gaffers and LDs that we hire to. They offer a huge range off effects, which makes them the perfect unit for a diverse range of events. Since arriving at our warehouse, they have been on back-to-back hire, so they were definitely worth the investment.”

Martin Professional is exclusively distributed in the UK by Sound Technology Ltd. For more information please visit www.soundtech.co.uk/professional-lighting/martin/

To find out more about Limelite Lighting’s hire stock of the Martin MAC Aura PXL, visit www.limelitelighting.co.uk.

 

Photos: by Louise Stickland.

Currently on a 2022 theatre tour through Belgium and the Netherlands, K3’s “Giddy Up & Go” is the foot-tappingly catchy third song of the set, and it features 15 Astera Titan Tubes which are used highly effectively as illuminated props in a skilful collaboration between the tour’s lighting designer, Jeroen Opsteyn of Painting with Light (PWL), choreographer Tommy Gryson, the three K3 girls and 12 dancers.

Managed and produced by Studio 100, K3’s new show is a lively, colourful, slick, and streamlined hi-energy performance to entertain all ages. While their major audience comprises the under 10s … parents and grandparents also universally enjoy the show! Everyone has a good time in the K3 universe!

One of Jeroen’s creative objectives was to keep the dynamics and pace flowing throughout the action-packed, up-tempo set.

The lighting design and programming introduce fluidity and animation to the stage in the absence of video, as one of the early artistic decisions was to present the band in a more theatrical setting, focusing on them and making lighting central to the show’s visuality.

Jeroen and Tommy both hit on the idea of changing the shape and perception of the performance space – just for one song – using Astera Titan Tubes as hand-held props, which Studio 100’s technical production manager Jan De Goeyse made happen.

Obviously for this gag to work, they needed a wireless product that looked cool!

Titan Tubes were a perfect solution. Jeroen had used them previously as static lighting at events or on TV sets, but not as a unique dynamic effect, and once he and Tommy hit on the idea of creating a kinetic effect in conjunction with the dance moves, he knew Astera was the way to go.

Tommy worked out the dance moves step-by-step as Jeroen and Niels Huybrechts (also from PWL) programmed multiple lighting colour and movement chases on the Titan Tubes using a grandMA2 console.

This exacting task consumed serious time and demanded a lot of attention. “It really pushed the envelope,” confirms Jeroen, “however it was worth all of that for the results!”

He adds that though challenging and complex to programme, the process was also a tribute to everyone’s “dancing skills and end-vision!” and additionally noted that it was “great fun” to work so collaboratively!

Apart from the wireless functionality, Jeroen loves the colours and colour mixing of the Astera Titan Tubes, together with their robustness and quality engineering. “They were simply the perfect lighting fixtures for the job,” he confirms.

The fact they only used them once reinforced the impact of the visual treatment and putting it at the top of the set further ensured that the impressions of that song were memorable and noticeable.

The general lighting mood of the set is versatile and vibrant – from the heat of Latin America to the disco dancefloor to the classroom, most scenes include elaborate set pieces which are moved on and off stage by the dancers, all highly effective.

This is Jeroen’s sixth K3 tour, and the third as lighting designer.

His relationship with the band and brand started via Painting with Light’s creative director Luc Peumans, who has worked with them and with Studio 100 on assorted projects for many years.

This current K3 tour continues playing daily multiple weekender shows through the summer until December, with sold out shows as everyone celebrates being able to sing and dance live and collectively together again – post pandemic – to their favourite K3 songs!

 

SLX, a technical supplier to theatre, broadcast and events, has now opened applications for the 2022/2023 edition of its student support scheme, The Lighting Programme.

The programme aims to foster young, upcoming talent within the industry. Students joining the programme will have access to expert mentorship, along with networking opportunities with industry professionals and leading manufacturers to help prepare for the start of their careers. SLX will also provide specialist project support and an equipment package for one of their final year productions.

The live event specialists, who work on high profile events like The Commonwealth Games and the West End musical Six, were recent winners of the inaugural TPI Green Award for outstanding sustainable policies. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to play a part in this change, whilst learning vital skills and practices to take forward into their career.

The Lighting Programme applicants must be Lighting Design and/or Technical students, studying in the UK who will be in their third year of an undergraduate programme in September 2022. There are four spaces available for the 2022/2023 intake of the programme.

To apply to The Lighting Programme or to find out more about how successful applicants will benefit from it, visit: https://www.slx.co.uk/the-lighting-programme/

SLX CEO Alastair Currie commented: “Following the success of this year, I am thrilled to announce the 2022/23 Lighting Programme is now open for applications. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the previous intake of candidates, as we welcomed them to our warehouse facility in Bristol. I was also delighted to see them earning money whilst working at a number of our venues, as well as having valuable experience as part of our in-house team here in our warehouse.

“We have a genuine desire to drive diversity, inclusion, and equality within our sector so I would encourage as many of you as possible to apply.  My team is on hand to provide support and guidance to the students, developing their professional skills where they feel they need support. We very much want to reach out to as many students as possible to find those who we feel we can best support.”

 

A 12-week consultation has been launched by the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities seeking comments on three proposals to enhance electrical safety for residents in social housing in England and bring greater parity between the rented sectors following the introduction of Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector England Regulations in 2020.

The consultation seeks views on the proposal to introduce mandatory checks on electrical installations in social housing at least once every 5 years and mandatory Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) on all electrical appliances that are provided by social housing landlords as part of a tenancy.

Under these proposals, social housing landlords would be required to obtain an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), undertaken by a qualified and competent person, at least once every five years (or a shorter period if specified). A copy of the report would need to be provided to the resident within 28 days, and any remedial or further investigative work identified on the EICR would need to be rectified within 28 days. It has been proposed that all electrical appliances provided by the social housing landlord should be inspected and tested in line with a risk assessment, with evidence of PAT being provided with an EICR to ensure PAT is completed at least once every five years. It has been proposed that these Regulations would be enforced by Local Authorities.

In addition, a call for evidence has been issued alongside the consultation requesting views on whether to introduce a mandatory requirement for electrical installation checks in owner-occupier properties within social housing blocks. This is being considered to assist with the overall safety of social housing blocks and the consultation considers whether this requirement should be placed on the owner-occupier leaseholder or on their freeholder and how it should be enforced.

Commenting on the consultation, Frank Bertie, Chairman of the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers said: ‘It is great to see the publication of this consultation and the Government’s continuing commitment to enhancing electrical safety standards. We support the proposals within the consultation and the desire to align electrical safety standards across the rented sector. It is promising to see the Government collating views on the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks in owner-occupier properties within social housing blocks. This paves the way for the introduction of mandatory electrical safety checks for all dwellings within Higher-risk Buildings which will enable parity of safety for all residents which we have been calling for.’

The consultation opened on the 8th June 2022 and will close on the 31st August 2022.

To read the consultation in full, click here.