Lighting Design Fundamentals
September 8 – November 24, 2025. In Person.
A high-impact, low-cost course in Lighting Design with noted lighting designers from Broadway, Ballet, Opera and more. This 11-week course will be your entry into professional lighting design practice.
Emily Clarkson and Mark Stanley. With special guests Clifton Taylor and more.
Offered Monday evenings and Saturday mornings in two 3-hour sessions per week, with additional lab time available for projects and homework. We will be working with state-of-the-art equipment and working on problems including:
Lighting for plays and music, programming, drafting, and more in a LEARNER-centered and INCLUSIVE environment.
This course is recommended for post-secondary learners seeking professional training and job skills in Lighting Design.
A diverse group of instructors from various professional backgrounds in live entertainment lighting will teach the course.
Week 1:
Monday, Sept 8, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Why do we put light on stage (functions)? How to Talk about Art (Liz Lerman). Basic Procedures of the Lab.
Saturday, Sept 13, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Console Training
Week 2:
Monday, Sept 15, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: View Project 1-Light a poem, music, or painting
Saturday, Sept 20, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: View Project 1-Light a poem, music, or painting
Week 3:
Monday, Sept 22, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Qualities of Light //Angles Workshop
Saturday, Sept 27, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Qualities of Light // Color Workshop/Movement
Week 4:
Monday, Sept 29, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Qualities of Light //Form (Distribution)-Intensity-Movement- Workshop. Sketching Light
Saturday, Oct 4, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: More advanced console concepts: Working with Moving Lights.
Week 5:
Monday, Oct 6, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Mid Course Evaluation. Exploring the text/source material for info and ideas
Saturday, Oct 11, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Finding and Using Actionable Connotative and Denotative Lighting Research
Week 6:
Monday, Oct 13, NO CLASS TODAY FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY
Saturday, Oct 18, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Translating Research into a visual language
Week 7:
Monday, Oct 20, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Lighting from the Humans out. Key, Fill, and our relationship to environment.
Saturday, Oct 25, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: View and Discuss Lab Project-Realized Cue seq
Week 8:
Monday, Oct 27, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: View and Discuss Lab Project-Realized Cue seq
Saturday, Nov 1, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: View and Discuss Lab Project-Realized Cue seq
Week 9:
Monday, Nov 3, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Paperwork: Plots and Hookups and Instrument Schedules.
Saturday, Nov 8, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Paperwork: Sections, Elevations, and Worksheets
Week 10:
Monday, Nov 10, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Scaling your Design ideas into a Larger Sized Space.
Saturday, Nov 15, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Draft Paperwork: Shop Orders and Working with Rental Shops and Equipment Manufacturers.
Week 11:
Monday, Nov 17, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Console Training
Saturday, Nov 22, 10:30 am – 1:30 pm: Draft Paperwork
Week 12:
Monday, Nov 24, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Review and Discuss Final Plot Package
Some limited scholarship help is available; please see the application for more information.
