BEAM is a brand-new event for 2024 by Harrogate International Festivals. The Stray Ferret spotlights James Bawn, the man behind the event that’s lighting up Harrogate this weekend.
You’ve worked in events for more than 20 years; can you tell me a bit more about your background?
Lighting design has always been a passion of mine, even from a very young age where I took charge of after-school productions or local lighting events. I’ve been fortunate to work with many talented people within the industry, and you can always take inspiration from both the most complex of installations, or indeed, the simplest, purest form of light. The latter can quite often deliver the most dynamic impact.
What do you most enjoy about your work?
Great question. I call it the ‘The Gig Buzz’. The moment the doors open, or the sun sets, and the crowd finally gets a chance to view and (hopefully) enjoy my work, that is what gives me a real spike of adrenaline; it never leaves or wears away.
The lighting beams and projections will animate Harrogate’s most famous buildings this weekend from March 15-16, how did you select these?
Harrogate is a wonderful town with impressive architecture; it’s a fabulous canvas for any artist or creative. Choosing the final locations was in fact one of the hardest parts of this event. If allowed, I’d have covered the entire town in glistening photons of light, but I had to obviously consider the realities and logistical timescales in delivering the project across multiple sites. I’m grateful to the Harrogate International Festivals team in making it a reality and reining me in when necessary.
(Image: a map of where you can see the lights)
Can you tell me a bit about the soundscapes?
They are pieces of composition which I have chosen to complement the lighting design in two of the locations. The lighting is key, but the music adds an extra dynamic which will really help with the narrative.
In your opinion, why have lighting installations become more popular in recent years?
I think there are several factors. One of the biggest influences from my side is the advancement in technology; we can deploy LED fixtures and beam lights in a very short timeframe. This has had an overall impact on the lighting industry as it means more outdoor-based entertainment-style fixtures can be produced efficiently. It has huge benefits and makes large-scale installations more accessible for a whole new range of clients and event organisers.
Another big factor is that light installations provide an opportunity for social bonding within the community, for local families to get together as well provide local businesses with more footfall. The sense of excitement, mystique and a general happy buzz that lighting festivals create is wonderful.
Growing up in Yorkshire, who inspired you most?
I’m very fortunate that my parents introduced me to the world of the creative arts through theatre and my dad was a professional musician, so I was always exposed to music, light and art exhibitions. They literally carved out my career path without knowing it!
I’ve also been fortunate to work with many local talented creative artists over the years including David Blackburn and Patrick O’Mahony but Yorkshire is an absolute hotbed of creative talent and I for one am very proud of my county.
BEAM Light Festival, free, from dusk until 10pm, March 15-16, venues across town – click here for the map of where you can see the lights and for more the information, click here.
Main image: photography credit, Richard Maude
Read more:
Yorkshire Showground cancelled events worth over £70 million
Harrogate’s Yorkshire Event Centre has calculated the huge impact its cancelled events have had on the local economy.
To date, 148 events have been cancelled or postponed at the Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate, both owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. The total cost of struck-off events has cost the Centre nearly £6 million, but the total cost to the Harrogate economy is much higher.
Cafés, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, hotels and other local businesses have all struggled as a result.
Heather Parry, Managing Director of Yorkshire Event Centre Ltd, said:
“This is a challenging year for events businesses and it is no different for us at the Great Yorkshire Showground. Last year, businesses and events at the Showground were worth £73.7 million to the local economy.”
The calculation comes days after the Harrogate Convention Centre, home of the Nightingale Hospital, announced it will remain closed until March next year.
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The Yorkshire Event Centre sits in the Great Yorkshire Showground. The venue is home to some of the country’s biggest shows including The Great Yorkshire Show itself, which welcomes more than 130,000 visitors to the Harrogate district.
Bev Kemp, owner of The Bijou in Harrogate said:
“We rely very highly on events for tourism, a heck of a lot. We have lost the biggest conferences this year and I don’t know if we’re going to get them back. From March when lockdown started I would say at least 60% of our bookings have been cancelled, possibly more. We always get lots of people for the Great Yorkshire Show so that’s a huge loss. I am worried about hospitality on the whole in Harrogate. I think it’s going to take a few years to pick up.”
But, Ms Parry remains positive with future events coming to the showground. The Harrogate Bridal Show, the UK’s largest and longest running bridal event, has still been given the go-ahead in October.
Ms Parry said:
“We have taken robust steps to ensure that we can provide a safe, secure and flexible space to host events, in line with the latest government advice on social gatherings. As such, we have worked closely with the organisers of the Harrogate Bridal Show to meet their requirements.
The Harrogate Bridal Show is expected to run at the Yorkshire Event Centre from October 4 – 6.