Jennifer Tipton to Receive the ALD 50th Anniversary Medal for Outstanding Achievements in Lighting DesignAs part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, The Association of Lighting Designers announces a new international award which honors practitioners who have made a sustained and significant contribution to the art and esteem of theatre and live performance lighting design. The recipient of the Anniversary Medal for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design for Live Performance is Jennifer Tipton, who, the organization said in a release, "has been at the top of her profession for a number of years and engenders a philosophy and practice which has inspired generations of theatre makers, especially in the world of contemporary dance." Peter Mumford, ALD's chair, gave his view of her work: "When I first came across the work of Jennifer Tipton, it was at a time when there were not so many lighting designers in the world and the art form was relatively new and unrecognized compared to nowadays. I always used to say that she was the one designer whose work I could understand in terms of its intelligence and intention quite apart from its beauty. She is-and has been for several decades-a leader in the field, an innovator, and a huge influence on the art of lighting. Not only a great designer but a wonderful teacher too, able to explain and justify the thought processes behind her work, hence the decision to honor her in this 50th year of the ALD. We have all been influenced by Jennifer's work and this opportunity to attend these lectures / workshops with her here in the UK is a rare one and I strongly recommend the experience to everybody with any interest in lighting design. " Tipton's distinguished career includes two Tony Awards (for Jerome Robbins' Broadway and The Cherry Orchard) in addition to long-term creative relationships with American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and choreographers Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dana Rice, and Shen Wei. As adjunct professor of design at the Yale School of Drama since 1981, she has trained many of the top lighting designers working around the world today. A recent American profile can be read at http://gourl.gr/oap. As part of the 50th anniversary the ALD will be holding a series of events in the Embassy Theatre, located within Central School of Speech & Drama, University of London. "Central School is enormously proud to host this event on behalf of the ALD. We are very pleased to help the ALD celebrate the work of Jennifer Tipton; as a practitioner and as a teacher, and to provide a venue for UK based practitioners to benefit from her great wealth of knowledge experience," says Nick Moran, who leads the lighting programs at Central School. Events during the conference include a master class for students on Friday January 13; on January 14 there will be an open master class in lighting for dance-aimed at lighting and dance practitioners, as well as the presentation of the medal to Tipton. The latter event will also accommodate a panel discussion on "Light for Dance," featuring top lighting and dance practitioners in conversation with Tipton. Both events will take place in the Embassy Theatre at Central School. The nearest tube station is Swiss Cottage or Finchley Road. Final details are still being finalized, but both events will take place in the afternoons of each day, starting at 2pm, with registration from 1.30pm. More details on the timetable for both sessions and to book tickets for the events can be found on the ALD's website. 
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