2018 ALD Awards winners announced
Ian Saunders

The ALD announces 2018 Michael Northen Awards Winners

From the Annual Lighting Lunch, the Association of Lighting Designers’ is delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Michael Northen Awards.

The awards offer students just leaving education, a vital opportunity to gain practical skills and experience in creating a portfolio which sells their design ideas. The strongest, most imaginative and creative lighting or video designs are showcased for the eyes of experienced lighting and video designers, as well to the wider reach of industry professionals.

Submissions had been deliberated over by an esteemed panel of judges and the honour of presenting the awards fell to ALD Chair, Johanna Town, presenting the Michael Northern Award itself; ETC Ltd Sales Manager, Darren Beckley, presenting the ETC Award; 2018 judge, Steve Huttly, presenting the Francis Reid Award; and Lucy Carter, ALD Professional Designers’ Rep., presenting the Excellence in Video Design Award.

The Michael Northen Award, 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, was awarded to a very deserving Sophie Bailey (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts). For her design which the judges claimed was ‘sculptural and controlled’.

Johanne Jensen (Royal Central School of Speech & Drama) was awarded The ETC Award for excellence in lighting design. The judges felt the process was presented well and the use of light thought about in some depth. The award is sponsored by ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls), specialists in lighting solutions and control equipment for theatre, film & TV studios, architectural spaces as well as entertainment industries.

Bethany Gupwell (Royal Central School of Speech & Drama) walked away proudly with The Francis Reid Award. The final imagery of Gupwell’s designs was thought striking, 3-dimensional and with faces well lit!

The Excellence in Video Design Award which marks out the winner for their artistic distinction in the growing art of video design in live performance, was presented to Ruben Plaza Garcia (Rose Bruford College). The judges commented that his portfolio contained a good range of images and especially liked the combination of animated versus traditionally scenic content.

Johanna Town commented, “The value of collating your design work to be assessed by – and to gain insightful feedback from – professional judges, cannot be overestimated. This year’s entries were all remarkable and it was very hard to come to a final selection. We were also pleased to see a number of entries from non-drama schools: from practitioners who are just enjoying working with light and stage design. I hope we see more of these entrants in the future.  It’s been an honour to meet this year’s winners and to see what they’re capable of. I know we will all be seeing more of their work in the near future.”