My roots lie in lighting design for live performance, I work across theatre, opera, dance, and live art. I have a wide-ranging experience of designing for devised work, and as such, I am most at home in heavily collaborative environments and processes.

In the last seven years my practice has become increasingly transdisciplinary, often taking the form of co-designing set, costume, and lighting for live performance work, with long-term co-design collaborator designer Naomi Kuyck-Cohen.  In 2021 we co-designed The New Diorama Theatre's refreshed public spaces. Followed swiftly by leading the concept development and design of NDT Broadgate, a revolutionary artistic development hub which offered space and resources for independent theatre makers completely free––whilst setting new standards for meanwhile space use.

I am drawn to performance projects that are heavily collaborative, allowing a deep focus on visual dramaturgy and interrogation of form. My lighting work is often characterised by a cinematic quality, combining the poetic nature of light with an urge to create images that feel immediate. Placing performers––both accessibly and confidently in bold scenographic worlds.

At its heart, my performance design work prioritises the intimate joy of sharing stories in a communal space.

I have varied experience in designing and delivering educational lighting workshops in both the context of drama schools and theatre outreach departments. Additionally, I have supervised and mentored students in a
range of training contexts.

• I am an Associate Artist of New Diorama, London.
• In 2016/2017 I was Laboratory Associate Lighting Designer at Nuffield Southampton Theatres.
• In 2017 I was shortlisted for A Stage Debut Award for Design.
• In 2019 I was awarded a bursary from MGCfutures to further support my creative development.

joshgadsby.com