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Michael Northen Bursary Awards Presentation at PLASA 2007
They say that success breeds success, and this year’s winner of the Michael Northen Bursary certainly proves the point. In 2006 Georg Spindler, a second year student at LIPA, was recognised with an honourable mention. This year, spurred on by his success, Georg entered his lighting design for The Memory of Water, which formed part of the 2007 student show at LIPA. Described by the judges as “creative in a very theatrical way, this was a beautifully documented and reasoned entry, with well presented sketches and photographs,” the design won Georg the £500 Bursary. Presenting the award on September 11 at PLASA, Rick Fisher, Chairman of the ALD, said: “There was definitely no ‘favouritism’ because this year, for the first time, the judges were not told the names of the entrants, so to us all the entries were anonymous.”
The judges – ALD members Rick Fisher, Sam Gibbons, Mark Jonathan, Mary Pope, Paul Pyant, Mike Robertson and Mark White, also representing ETC – were unanimous in their praise for the high level of creativity of all the entries this year, but had no hesitation in selecting the winners. The ETC sponsored runner up prize of £250, presented by Fred Foster, CEO of ETC, went to Catherine Crick of Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama for her design for the college’s production of Quadrophenia. Fred said: “Catherine had a large rig, which the judges felt had been used to extremely good effect, producing some very striking visual looks.” The ALD runner up prize of £250 was awarded to Dan Large, Central School of Speech and Drama, for his lighting of a site-specific piece based on the Ghost Sonata. Presenting Dan with his cheque, Rick Fisher said: “With very few resources, Dan overcame some big challenges by devising an innovative lighting solution, including using LEDs to self-illuminate some of the actors.”
The Michael Northen Bursary, which once again demonstrates the level of work being done by students, is given for a project completed within the past academic year and, as a design bursary, the entries are judged purely on imaginative design and creativity in lighting. Michael set up the fund shortly before he died in 2001, and was delighted that his MBE, awarded that same year, was not just for his services to the theatre but also in recognition of his commitment to encouraging young people in the industry. The Fund is managed by The Mousetrap Foundation, an organisation committed to supporting young theatre practitioners.
The bursary award is open to all students and not just ALD members. For further information please contact:
Ian Saunders
Association of Lighting Designers
PO Box 680, Oxford. OX1 9DG
e. office@ald.org.uk
w. www.ald.org.uk
t. 07817 060189
In picture: Dan Large, Fred Foster, Catherine Crick, Rick Fisher and Georg Spindler at the Michael Northen Bursary Award ceremony.
13th September 2007
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