Lighting Bae brings international experts to Zimbabwe

The local lighting design fraternity will get a dose of international flair as the inaugural Phenomenal International Lighting Masterclass will virtually take centre stage at Bulawayo Theatre from 11 to 13 October.

Among the plethora of facilitators set for the Masterclass will be UK-based Declan Randall from Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) as well as Henry Rehberg from Germany. The pair, vastly experienced in the lighting design space will share their experiences and knowledge they have acquired over the years.

Randall and Rehberg discussed their unique encounters with Mildred “Lighting Bae’ Moyo, a mutual acquaintance and the festival’s curator, in separate interviews with Chronicle Showbiz.

Randall said: “After several email conversations, I finally got to meet Mildred at the ETC offices in London when she came to collect some of the training and support materials for this workshop. Mildred is a real power-house of passion and enthusiasm for lighting and design and it is really refreshing to meet someone how has so much love for her craft and for her country. ETC are proud to be supporting her in her training efforts and we look forward to our continued relationship for many years to come.”

Rehberg noted: “My first impression of Mildred, when I met her in London was that she is really enthusiastic and energetic. Her background is really inspiring and fascinating. Even though our personal and our lighting story is as different as it possibly can be, we quickly realised how much we can learn from each other.”

For the Masterclass, Randall said participants “can expect a fun, but intensive workshop about light and lighting. Mildred has assembled a top team of speakers, and I am happy I am able to play a small part. I love light — the way that it can enhance the mood of the play and audience’s experience is hugely rewarding — it is a great fusion of both science and art and I hope that the attendees will leave feeling enriched and inspired.”

The lighting design space is very broad and Rehberg will take participants through their paces on “how to program a lighting desk. We are really lucky that ETC made it possible for us to have one of their most recent lighting desks in the theatre in Zimbabwe. But the narrative for this masterclass will always be from a light designer’s perspective. And for the designer the lighting desk is just a tool, like any other tool, to create their vision on stage.”

Rehberg, who has never been to Zimbabwe, said Moyo has been a deserving cultural ambassador for the nation and that he has gained an appreciation for how stunning Zimbabwe is.

“Before I met Mildred I had some general knowledge of Zimbabwe’s geography and history. But she told me a lot about the country, especially about some spiritual rituals like rain dances. And she also told me about how warm and welcoming the people are, which is apparently quite different to us Europeans. So, I am super excited to share my knowledge and my story with the participants of the Masterclass and I am looking forward to hearing their stories,” said Rehberg.

Randall thinks that the continent is making tremendous progress.

an emotional journey using the more conventional fixture and techniques – and I applaud and support those who have this skill and ability.

Rehberg and Randall have created designs in the past for the performing arts, including theatre, dance (classical and contemporary), opera, musicals, live music, site-specific works, corporate events and product launches, film, television, fashion shows, music videos, and architecture, where their expertise has been highlighted in upscale resorts, boutique hotels, museums, and theme parks.

Such repertoires provide them a sure free pass to instruct locals, a lesson that regional lighting designers can learn from. The pair will be joined by fellow industry captains in the form of Johanna Town, Bamanye Yeko (South Africa), Tamykha Patterson, Patrick Woodroffe, Sofia Schmidt, Rob Marsh, and Laurie Loads (all UK), and Erich Bertti (Brazil).