As part of its 50th Anniversary celebrations, The Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) has announced 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 has been at the top of her profession for a number of years and engenders a philosophy and practice that has inspired generations of theatre makers, especially in the world of contemporary dance.
Chair of the ALD, lighting designer Peter Mumford, says 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 Fiftieth 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 many Tony Awards for winning Broadway designs, as well as long term creative relationships with American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and choreographers: Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dana Reitz, and Shen Wei. As adjunct professor of design at the Yale School of Drama since 1981, Tipton has trained many of the top lighting designers working around the world today, and continues to inspire respect and admiration amongst the emerging generation of theatre makers.
As part of the 50th anniversary the ALD will be holding a series of events in the highly esteemed 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, 2012, while on Saturday, 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 Jennifer Tipton. A panel discussion on “Light for Dance,” features top lighting and dance practitioners in conversation with Tipton.
Both events will take place in the Embassy Theatre at Central School (nearest tube Swiss Cottage or Finchley Road, starting each at 2pm and registration from 1:30pm. Details on the timetable for both sessions and to book tickets for the events can be found on the ALD’s website: www.ald.org.uk/events