Published: Nov 08, 2011
Six students are stoked after winning a lighting design competition run by the National Railway Museum in York.
A judging panel that included independent lighting designer Richard Boaste and members of the museum’s conservation staff picked the LIPA team’s entry out of a field of six. The LIPA students – all on the BA (Hons) Theatre and Performance Technology course – had to devise and install a lighting scheme to illuminate one of the museum’s exhibits.
This was the first time a team of LIPA students has entered the annual competition, which also attracted teams of theatre technicians from other UK educational institutions. The team was told about the event by LIPA’s Head of Theatre and Performance Design and Technology, Joe Stathers-Tracey.
LIPA team member Tom Robinson, a third-year student, commented: “Our lighting played on the train’s history, and before attending the competition we looked into other architectural installations in museums for some inspiration. We wanted to capture some of the train’s emotion, power and background, so we created our design to represent this.
“In our design we also decided to light the environment around the train rather than just the train itself to give an impression of the harsh surroundings the train worked in and to make the corner it is displayed in, stand out.
“We’d like to thank the museum not only for a great experience but also for a great day out.”
The team, delighted to win the main prize – cash and an opportunity to drive a steam train – used an ETC Smartfade control desk that was connected to over 16 lighting fixtures.
As part of their training programme at LIPA, they work on public performances in the institute’s two main theatre spaces and other venues.
Tom commented: “In some ways, a train is a lot harder to light than a stage but in others it’s easier, as there are no limits to positions of lights, how many lights etc., and the grand scale of locomotives provides excellent outlines as well as shadows to create that ultimate impact on the viewer.”
As part of the annual Illuminating York Festival, Locos in a Different Light, held in October, provided visitors with a rare opportunity to see some of the museum’s most popular exhibits brought to life though colourful lighting schemes. Over 1,000 people saw the students’ work.
The LIPA team, from the left, Tom Webber, Tom Robinson, Rowan Burton, Rhys Chamberlain, and Rachel Bottomley. Not present: Matthew Jones. Picture courtesy of National Railway Museum – Kippa Matthews Photography.