Rose Bruford students win Peer Award at Ready, Steady, Light 2026

Rose Bruford College students recognised at Ready, Steady, Light 2026, winning the Peer Award for their creative lighting project Stand Alone and receiving a Commendation in the Technical Award category.

MA (Hons) Light in Performance students Franka Fix, Harry Mullin, Liam Schnitzer and Emma Toft received the Peer Award at Ready, Steady, Light 2026 for Stand Alone, an immersive, playful and heartfelt exploration of light. The team also received a Commendation in recognition of the technical aspects of their work.

Celebrating creativity and collaboration

Rose Bruford College proudly hosted the event in partnership with the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD).

Sofia Alexiadou, Programme Director for MA/MFA Light in Performance commented on the achievement:

“The Peer Award at Ready Steady Light is a wonderful celebration of the creativity, generosity and collaborative spirit at the heart of Rose Bruford’s long tradition of teaching lighting. Stand Alone captured this beautifully, an immersive, playful and heartfelt exploration of light, inspired by the student’s own journey of moving to the UK to begin a new life through the MA/MFA Light in Performance. It was a joy to see such a personal story transformed into an imaginative experience that invited others to connect, explore and play with light.”

The architectural lighting competition brings together emerging talent and experienced lighting professionals, challenging participants to experiment with light and explore its creative potential.

The awards were presented by the Mayor of Bexley, Councillor Lisa-Jane Moore, who joined students and industry professionals at the College for the event.

The competition was judged by lighting and built-environment professionals Carolina Florian, lighting designer and President of the Society of Light and Lighting, Brendan Keely, Secretary of the Society of Light and Lighting, Dr Edward Barrett, Deputy Course Leader for the MSc Light and Lighting programme, Fiona Fanning, CIBSE, Lora Kaleva, lighting designer and Associate at BDP, Laura Tozer and artist Oliver Smart.

Learning through industry experience

Ready, Steady, Light provides students with the opportunity to gain practical experience of working alongside industry professionals in a live production environment.

BA (Hons) Stage Management and MA (Hons) Light in Performance students played a hands-on role in organising and delivering the event, developing their skills in collaboration, technical production and event management while engaging with professionals working across the lighting industry.

Ready, Steady, Light 2026 brought together teams from across the lighting design, consultancy, engineering and manufacturing sectors, including Arup, AtkinsRéalis, CBG Light Perceptions, dpa Lighting Consultants, Fagerhult Lighting, Franklite, IALD, Introba, Marlow Integrated Designs (MID Lighting), Michael Grubb Studio, Nulty Lighting, UCL, and WSP.

Rose Bruford College would like to thank the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) for their partnership in delivering Ready, Steady, Light 2026.

We are also grateful to all the participating teams, judges and lighting professionals who contributed their time, expertise and enthusiasm to the competition, helping to create a valuable experience for our students and celebrate the creativity and technical innovation of the lighting industry.

Interested in connecting with our emerging talent? Industry professionals can email [email protected] to join our industry mailing list and receive updates on upcoming productions, showcases and opportunities to engage with our students.

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All photos credit Graham Baker 2026.