In 2023, Emma Chapman and Rob Halliday won a grant from the Craig Fund towards image rights for their book Theatre lighting design: conversations on art, craft and life. This will be published by Bloomsbury in the Methuen Drama series on July 25th of this year – and if you order now there’s a hefty pre-publication discount!

click here for more information and to order

This book provides an insight into the life of a professional lighting designer, through interviews with lighting designers at different stages of their careers plus a group interview with the designer and lighting team of the hit musical Billy Elliot.
The designers featured are Neil Austin, Natasha Chivers, Jon Clark, Paule Constable, Rick Fisher, Richard Howell, Howard Hudson, Jessica Hung Han Yun, Mark Jonathan, Amy Mae, Ben Ormerod, Bruno Poet, Jackie Shemesh and Johanna Town. Between them, they have worked all over the world on shows of every genre – collecting many awards for their work along the way.
They share inspiration and practical advice, useful to anyone embarking on a career in lighting, fascinating to anyone who enjoys going to the theatre, offering insights into:

* approaching a new design;
* dealing with the challenges each new show brings, from working with a new director to being part of a creative team in realising a piece;
* the use of light and dark, colour and texture;
* managing collaborations, with directors, designers and their own team of associate and assistant lighting designers, programmers and electricians.
* and beyond the art and craft of lighting, the practicalities of a lighting career – moving from just getting enough work to pay the bills, to lighting the world’s biggest shows.

Rob Halliday was also instrumental in bringing the STR’s Publication for 2023-2024 – A Sense of Theatre by the late Richard Pilbrow to fruition following Richard’s death last year.

Do you have a theatre research project, academic or practical – or both – that could be eligible for a grant from the STR? This year’s grants have already been allocated, but a new round will start at the beginning of next year for allocation in May 2025. Keep the page bookmarked!