SSD Lighting Workshop for HS Students
July 14 – July 21, 2025. In Person.
Studio School of Design’s Summer Workshop for High School Students. This coming summer in Manhattan. An eight-day intensive to include hands-on workshops with working professional lighting designers, a visit to see a New York show and tour backstage, and culminating in a public showing of the work accomplished during the workshop.
Deandra Bromfield, Emmanuel DelGado, Darius Knight Evans, Venus Gulbranson, Amara McNeil, Mark Stanley, Clifton Taylor. Guest Speakers Kevin Lawson, Josephine Marquez, and more.
Course availability is limited. Applications are open to students studying at all High Schools (including homeschool). Priority will be given to students in US Title 1 Public High Schools.
This workshop encourages and mentors high school students to explore lighting and collaboration in a theatrical context. The week includes hands-on work with state-of-the-art equipment in a lab-based environment, facilitated by leading designers who serve as mentors.
The goal of the workshop is to empower the participants and open up possibilities for their work in High School and potential new career ideas. No prior experience is required. High school learners who have an interest in lighting, programming, storytelling, or a general interest in theater backstage are highly encouraged to apply.
The workshop is tuition-free. Students are responsible for getting to and from the program each day. Those living outside the New York City area are encouraged to apply; however, the program cannot provide housing for students. Any student from outside the New York City Area must have a parent or guardian accompany them for the duration of their stay, outside of the program hours.
More information and a video from learners in a prior course are here.
The Studio School of Design received a 2022 LIT Spotlight Prize for its programs in lighting education.
Applications are due by May 31, 2025.
Admission is limited. Applications and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, so apply early!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is eligible for the program?
The workshop is for high school rising grades 10 and 11 with a priority given to students attending Title 1 designated public high schools.
Where does the workshop take place?
The workshop will take place in Manhattan on the Lower East Side. The program has qualified staff that will supervise participants at all times during the program. All of our staff are at least eighteen years of age and have strong leadership skills and experience in both professional lighting and education.
What will participants do during the program?
The curriculum includes hands-on workshops, seminars, and a visits to a show and a working Broadway lighting shop.
What are the dates of the program?
In 2025, the program will take place from July 14 – 21. The days are roughly 10am-4pm, with lunch provided.
Is there a cost to attend the program?
This is a tuition-free program. Therefore, there is no cost to attend. Students are responsible for their transportation to and from the program.
Any more questions?
Ask away! Please reach out to us at information_request@studioschoolofdesign.org
Location:
The workshop will take place at the New York Center for Creativity and Dance, 287 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003
Schedule, subject to change.
Monday, July 14, Day 1
10:00 – 12:45 Musical Freethinking; Functions and Qualities of Light; Angles of Light
12:45 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 4:00 Magic Sheets; Hands-on Session: Introduction to the Lighting Console, Safety in the theater, hanging and focusing lighting instruments.
Tuesday, July 15, Day 2
10:00 – 12:45 Lighting the Human Form, Designing for Meaning; Hands-on Session: Lighting Storytelling.
12:45 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 4:00 Hands-on Session: Lighting a scene
Wednesday, July 16, Day 3
10:00 – 12:45 Color and Light; Hands-on Session: Creating depth and composition with color and angle.
12:45 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 4:00 Essential concepts in programming; Hands-on session: poetry and lighting abstraction.
Thursday, July 17, Day 4
10:00 – 12:45 Communicating through Professional Paperwork; Hands-on Session: Drawing a lighting plot and related paperwork; Advanced Programming Concepts.
12:45 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 4:00 Building your Lighting Story – Lighting for Music.
Friday, July 18, Day 5
10:00 – 12:45 Lighting for Music
12:45 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 4:00 Lighting Design for Music Project
Saturday, July 19, Day 6
10:00 – 11:45 Careers in Light; Resumes; Colleges
11:45 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 4:00 See a professional show
Sunday, July 20, Day 7
10:00 – 12:45 Music Project Work
12:45 – 1:30 Lunch
2:00 First Presentation for Friends, Family, and Public
4:00 2nd Presentation for Friends, Family, and Public
5:00 Public Reception!
Monday, July 21, Day 8
10:00am – 4:00pm FIELD TRIP TO PRG Lighting and Scenic in New Jersey
We will get a backstage look at how Broadway shows and other large events are put together at one of the largest lighting and scenic companies in the world.
Learning Outcomes from this workshop:
By the end of the program, students will:
- Use light and design to articulate the fundamental qualities of light in terms of intensity, angle, color, movement, and distribution (form and rhythm).
- Experience and Practice Public Speaking about their and others’ artistic works.
- Experience and Practice Supportive Group Learning and Critique Processes
- Create lighting designs and documentation for inclusion in a design portfolio, including a short video that communicates a lighting ‘story’ around the themes of time of day and place, style, supporting scenic elements, and consideration and use of abstract compositional elements.
- Experience pathways to a professional career through meeting diverse industry professionals.
- Create a professional resume with an understanding of college pathways and jobs in the lighting industry.
- Create a professionally formed “Magic Sheet” that explains the lighting systems in the plot and the design.
- Create a schematic light plot for inclusion in a portfolio that follows the form of a professional drawing package.
- Photograph Natural light and their designs for inclusion in their portfolio and for creating a lighting journal.
This workshop is made possible by: The Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Programs, The Seattle Foundation, Electronic Theatre Controls, PRG, Barbizon, Mainlight, The Joyce Theater Foundation, and many individual donors.
We appreciate all our sponsors!
Sponsor a student! Please consider donating to Studio School of Design to help make this program possible.
