Book Review of “Collected light -Volume 3 – Women in entertainment lighting”

This is the book I wish existed when I graduated from my lighting design degree in 2003.  The book would have been a welcome and empowering read, as I moved into my working life in backstage lighting surrounded then, largely by a landscape of men.  The truth is it has taken 22 years for the pages of this book to evolve and be populated.  For the many celebrated women featured within its pages to develop and forge their creative careers within the entertainment lighting sector.

This is the second in the ‘Collected Light’ series of books.  The first celebrates and documents the many successful female light artists.  Its pages are full of beautiful light art created by women.  This book, volume 3 is a collection of women from all over the world (featuring 9 from the UK), working within lighting from the entertainment field.  Crossing sectors such as theatre, film, corporate events and rock and roll.  Celebrating designers, programmers and production lighting roles.   

The curation and presentation of this book makes it an easy read.  Each lady is asked the same 8 questions.  They start with telling us “Their trigger”, what inspired them into lighting, with a wide variety of stories.  I found it fascinating reading each lady’s “favourite technology” and then their “essential tools”.  Many answers as expected were of the latest great kit we have at our disposal, but it was nice to see the “thermos mug” and the old school “parcan” get a mention.  The book is littered with colourful and vibrant photos of the wide variety of lighting work that each of the women have produced and worked on.  It was lovely to read each of the women’s “influences and inspirations” as many talked of other ladies that have inspired them to continue working in lighting.  The books design is simple and so easy to dip in and out of reading.  Its concept is essential and I’m sure will be pivotal in inspiring many more women into the entertainment lighting field.  The last question asked to each lady was “my advice to my younger self”, the variety and experience of the answers are something every young aspiring woman in lighting should read.  

The forward for the book was written by Dr Natalie Wreyford, a lecturer in culture, media and creative industries at King college London.  She has been researching gender inequality in the creative industries for two decades.  She offers a compelling introduction to the problem that women have been underrepresented across many arts sectors.  The release of this book dispels the many myths cited that women simply aren’t good enough, have different life priorities or just aren’t interested.  Wreyford also tells us of how this book now joins many other publications that are “shining a light” on women working in the arts. For example: The story of art without men (2023), Movie worker: The women who made British cinema (2021, Melanie Bell).

In 2003, the female student lighting designer Mig, didn’t have this inspiring book to reference.  22 years later, now, the female lighting teacher Mig is looking forward to using this empowering book to inspire the many girls that decide to study and pursue a career in lighting backstage.  We simply need to get this book to the places it needs to be available.  It will be joining the University of Surrey’s Library for my lighting students; I urge any educational establishment with a lighting course to get this on their reading list.

As I learnt from this book in Dr Wreyfords foreward, in the words of Geena Davis from the institute on gender in media. “If she can see it, she can be it”.  Many thanks to Sharon and Martin from Light Collective and the Women in Lighting project, Ayrton for their support and every lady that contributed in bringing us this important volume of work.  With this on our bookshelves “she can now see it” and be inspired to “be it”.

Mig Walsh
Guildford School of Acting
University of Surrey