'Strictly' Double BAFTA Award-Winner Inspires QAS Students

David Bishop delivers inspirational talk about his lighting career

Double BAFTA Award Winning lighting designer David Bishop, Head of Lighting on Strictly and Britain’s Got Talent gave a hugely informative and inspirational speech about his work as a professional lighting practitioner to a mixed year group of students on Thursday evening. He talked about the differences in lighting dance to stage to screen to national events; David was also responsible for the lighting for both the Queen’s funeral and King Charles’ coronation.

It is, perhaps, telling that David said that he had visited many schools to talk about his work but that he had never visited a girls’ school before; he said that lighting in the Performing Arts was considered to be an exclusively male profession and he, along with the girls, Head of Drama, Rhodri Punter, and Head, Elaine Purves, felt that it was time that this changed.

David showed clips form Strictly and explained the context and how the effects were created and, after a very interesting Q and A session, the girls left the presentation buzzing with enthusiasm and inspiration, with two students even asking about work placement and internships.

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