Showlight Makes Triumphant Return

	Photo: Jean Nguyen

The quadriennal event Showlight made a triumphant return in May, revived and rejuvenated after an eight-year break, visiting the historic city of Dijon, appropriately for Showlight, one of France's centers of art and gastronomy.

Hailed as the largest and most international Showlight to date, Showlight 2025 marked a welcome, and long-overdue, chance to converge once again and dedicate three whole days to talking about light.

"I sensed an enormous feeling of joy and relief that Showlight was not just back, but had if anything, moved on. I am sure it was the most international Showlight I have experienced!" says Bernie Davis, papers committee and technical manager.

The event exhibited a greater international presence with participants coming from all over the world, not just Europe but as far afield as America, Brazil, Australia, and everywhere in between.

Speakers and lighting designers from every genre of lighting had the opportunity to make new connections and exchange ideas. Papers and the Q&A sessions that followed were available in five different languages.

With nearly 30 speakers, the wide range of lighting topics included strong representations from the worlds of film, television, theatre, art installation, themed attractions, public installations, and even haute couture. Subjects ranged from Willie Williams' talk on the Las Vegas Sphere and his lighting of U2, through Tim Lutkin and Adrien Mourey's lighting a castle at Disneyland Paris, to David Duffy's take on lighting a puppet festival in a remote village on the edge of the Arctic Circle and Sophya Acosta's account of the creative challenges of working in a small venue. The conference was rounded off with an "in conversation" with film cameraman and second-unit director, Peter Macdonald, who recounted tales from his 70-year career in cinema.

There were more opportunities for students with the introduction of Showlight workshops, held in three locations, which were well attended and laid the grounds for an expanded program in future Showlights.

"It was an amazing experience making some amazing personal and professional connections, while also listening to some fantastic talks and workshops from industry professionals," says Tayo Rio Wilson, undergraduate in sound, light and live event engineering and a Showlight 2025 sponsored student.

The newly introduced emerging professionals scholarship caught those who fell between the gaps of student and established professional, and, like the sponsored student program, was over-subscribed with extremely worthy applicants. Those students and EPs who were fortunate enough to be selected also put a huge amount of time into the event, with students helping the organizers in every aspect of Showlight, whether backstage, camera operating, assisting exhibitors, or at the front of house.

"Showlight was a highlight of my early career and gifted me with connections and memories I will treasure for a long time. I arrived as a damp sponge, and now I'm completely soaked! I'm eager to take all I've absorbed and wring it out into my craft and conversations with fellow artists and collaborators," says Dominick Zayne Riches, lighting designer, photographer, artist, and Showlight 2025 sponsored student.

A truly global fraternity of lighting designers, manufacturers and speakers mixed with students, emerging professionals, exhibitors and delegates over an unprecedented three days of networking, both during the day in the exhibition hall hosting over 40 exhibitors, at lunch and tea breaks, and at the company dinners hosted by those exhibitors on the first evening.

"What I found was a community of incredible and supportive light artists -- and I use that term intentionally -- gathering to hear from each other about the highest-level work that is happening in the world today," says Clifton Taylor, Color and Light Workshop, Showlight 2025.

A touch of glamour was added at the conference dinner when everyone was transported to a champagne reception and elegant dinner at Chateau Vantoux, held in the orangerie and accompanied by a string quartet playing both classical and contemporary music.

"What a week!! I feel spoilt rotten to have been enveloped in such an amazing environment of shared passion and enjoyment, with the added bonus of amazing evenings out too. Merci Showlight 25. This was my first Showlight, I look forward to the next," says Elanor Higgins, Showlight 2025 speaker. "We have had an overwhelming response to this edition of Showlight," says chairman Jim Tetlow. "It's difficult to choose the highlights as everyone took away something different and had their eyes opened to many alternatives and inspirations. We have definitely seen an evolution with our expanded student program and the new emerging professional program, which have made Showlight more accessible to the next generation."

In a statement, the event organizers say, "Showlight would like to thank its headline sponsor, Robert Juliat, for all their hard work and support in helping us bring about the successful return of Showlight, and for sticking with us through thick and thin!

"But a huge thanks goes to all the speakers, exhibitors, students, emerging professionals, lighting designers, and delegates who made this edition of Showlight such a great success. It is people -- their infectious enthusiasm, willingness, and generosity in sharing their experience -- that make Showlight what it is." Showlight will return in 2029 in an as-yet-undisclosed location.