Director of Smart Light Sydney Festival, 2009 

“Clients and project teams often don’t completely understand the transformative power of light and how it will effect their space – until they are reminded of an Olympic Games or a great theatre or music show or enter a space that leaves a lasting impression” shares Mary-Anne Kyriakou, Festival director of Sydney upcoming Smart Light Sydney Festival.

“In April 2006, I attended my first Light+ Build Light Fair in Germany and experienced the Light Festival.” Mary-Anne says. “I was inspired to create a light festival for Sydney and Australia. Light festivals are not a new idea and are shared experienced by many countries in particular in during winter months.”

Smart Light Sydney is a low urban light festival to take place in Sydney May 26 – June 14 2009.

“I didn’t know that the profession of lighting design existed when I decided to choose it as a career, over ten years ago.” Mary-Anne recalls. “My working life started in a QANTAS hangar fulfilling an engineering internship. This was in the mid 90’s and I found the experience very exciting.

“Although the job was very interesting, I couldn’t see that it would fulfill my long term creative aspirations. I took a job at my current employment as an undergraduate electrical building services engineer in 1997.

“I worked on a few projects where I could see that lighting contributed greatly to the atmosphere of a space. The multiple banks of fluorescent lights glowing in office environments didn’t look, feel or seem natural. I wanted to create spaces with atmosphere.”

Mary-Anne says this challenge has led to many and varied lighting design and art projects. “In addition to design, I have spent my lifetime composing music. In the past eight years, I have explored the relationship between light and music in particular in architectural space. The ephemeral with the creative drives my day to day.”

The best part of the job, Mary-Anne says, is when the effect she imagines becomes a reality. “Solving complicated lighting problems is always a delight and a challenge (not to mention sometimes a headache and takes research and trialing). Through these challenges I work on interesting jobs and meet a wide range of people. Working through a challenge is like discovering the code that then turns the key to create a new atmosphere.”

“My goals are to continue exploring my visual and sound language for built urban environments in the context of city atmosphere and this is for both Australian and international cities.” Mary-Anne says.

In 2006, Mary-Anne was dedicated to the task of creating a sustainable light festival in Sydney. “With some knock backs, but a great deal of perseverance and an evolved vision for a sustainable light festival. I formed a not-for-profit organization with Barry Webb and Davina Jackson. Soon afterwards Avviso Carolyn Grant and Anthony Bastic, event producer joined the team.”

She’d been disappointed by the wasteage of previous light festivals, such as the design festival in Milan, 2007, and how designers weren’t actively being involved in sustainability.

In early 2007, influenced by Malcolm Turnball’s statement to ‘ban the bulb’, Mary-Anne decided to provide Australian examples of sustainable lighting. “I presented a paper with Karina Clarke on Sustainable Visions and the future for lighting design, the key focus on the paper was Australian education and Australian architectural lighting design case studies that gave insight to Australian design and sustainable thinking with lighting. “

With some challenges to get funding in the past two years, Mary-Anne now says that “festival plans are now well underway for 2009.” But she shares that one of the challenges of the job in general is budget cuts. “Budget cuts on a project mean the lighting effects and the atmosphere get reduced.”

Mary-Anne says that the festival has a strong education component that aims to engage electricians, designers, engineers on Smart lighting.

“The festival is a Light Walk, Conference, Stockhausen Light and Sound festival and Light Studio,” which combines the work of all kinds of people working in the lighting industry.

And what’s so exciting about creating the festival? “Everything!” Mary-Anne bubbles. “In particular watching the festival grow from an idea and seeing how the idea grows beyond our festival team. That the festival reaches to showcase creative city lighting façade treatments and light sculptures. Growing the festival to connect like minded people, to connect and build positive city experiences.”

What personal qualities are needed for the job?
Patience. Ability to visually plan and think. Roll up sleeves and get the work done. Work under pressure and long hours.

Advice for people entering the industry?
Understand that lighting is not an exact science and requires lighting education at some point. Go with a company that inspires you to design and develop yourself for a life long career.

The following backgrounds are usual for lighting designers - Industrial Design, Engineering, Interior Design, Architecture, Theatre lighting design, sculptors and lovers of ephemeral atmosphere.