There is no doubt that a Zoom meeting cannot replace the pomp, ceremony and human emotion of a traditional Lightmongers’ Ceremony but the Education Committee, under the Chairmanship of Stuart Mucklejohn, made a splendid job of staging a virtual event to enable the presentation of the 2020 awards. However, the winners will not lose out, as they will be invited to attend ‘real’ events later in the year or as soon as circumstances permit.
Over 30 people took part in the ceremony, choreographed by Past Master, Mike Simpson, that took place at 6.00pm on Tuesday, 23rd June, and included members of the Lightmongers’ Court and Education Committee, the award winners themselves and their sponsors.
Our eloquent Master, the Rev Peter Harris, made a short introduction to every winner and each in turn told us stories of how they had entered the world of lighting, their pride in winning the award and their aspirations for the future. This is the part of the ceremony that is always the most emotional as people talk of inspiration from parents, a desire to see a well-lit building and say ‘I did that’ or to know that they have worked on projects that make a difference to human health and well-being. After each speech, as if by magic, the Master passed the certificate, via his computer screen, to the winner who miraculously received it via their own laptop, complete with frame! Bravo.
This year’s award winners were:
Best student in the final year of the MSc in Light and Lighting, University College London (UCL), Sponsored by Canary Wharf Group
Maria Alves
Maria Alves explains how lighting designs inspire and challenge her
Best student on the Lighting Industry Association (LIA) – Advanced Certificate Course, sponsored by Liveryman Ray Reid
Jack Worsley
Jack Worsley proudly displays his certificate that has just been passed to him by the Master who looks on from on high.
Best individual candidate meeting the affiliate requirements of the
Association of Lighting Designers (ALD) (Stage, theatre and events lighting),
Sponsored by Status International (UK) Limited.
This year the Award was presented to two students who were introduced by Rick Fisher of ALD who proudly regards his successful protégés as they talk about their lighting journey and receive their awards:
Tamykha Patterson & Jack Ryan
The final award of the night, the Master’s Award for a lifetime contribution to Lighting, went to Mark Major, partner at Spiers+Major. This is the highest award bestowed by the Master.
Mark Major, with Norwich Cathedral, a recent lighting project, in the background.
Mark paid tribute to his late Partner, Jonathon Speirs, and spoke of the many talented people he has worked with through his career. He said how pleased he was to be recognized by the Education Committee of the Lightmongers. Educating lighting designers is something to which he is deeply committed. Mark, who started out as an architect in 1984 made it clear that lighting is not just about turning night into day. It enables us to reinterpret life after dark and celebrate the qualities of night rather than just a means to extend the day. He made full use of ZOOM technology by framing himself in an image of Norwich Cathedral, one of his most recent lighting projects.
The Company also took the opportunity to invite the winners of the Construction Liveries Group Awards that took place earlier this year, to take part in this ZOOM event and the Master complimented them again on their successes:
Apprentice Award: Andrew Mawhinney
Journeyman Award: Scott Window
The Master brought our first ever ZOOM Awards presentation to a conclusion by congratulating all the winners and thanking all those that had participated in the event.
Over 30 people took part in the Lightmongers’ first ever virtual awards ceremony in June 2020.
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