Showlight 2025 Announces Third Wave of Speakers Showlight announces the latest round of international speakers to present Papers at Showlight 2025, as Willie Williams, Dr. Yaron Abulafia, Christina Thanasoula, Saffran Popille, Elanor Higgins, and Brad Schiller sign up to share their experiences with audiences in Dijon. The event will take place May 19-22 at Le Parc des Expositions et Congres de Dijon, in Dijon, France. The Visual future of live entertainment: too much, or not enough? -- Williams, best known for his 40-year creative relationship with rock band U2, among his many other skills and projects, shares insights gained from his extensive work combining immersive visuals with live performance. Artists now possess the tools to choreograph an entire audience's perception during a live shared experience. Williams asks, what does this mean for a performer? Is this the future, or just a distraction? Too much, or not enough? "Working light:" Realizing Light-Spaces in the Spectators' Minds -- Visual artist and researcher Abulafia, whose work explores the dynamic intersection of light and space, will share his aesthetic vision of how he creates immersive dances of light to arouse spectators' bodies and minds. He will present production designs with kinetic and sculptural lighting scenography in some of the world's leading ballet troupes, using examples from The Dutch National Ballet and The Stuttgart Ballet. Stage Lighting Design and Live Feed Cameras on the 21st Century Theatre Stage -- Thanasoula has designed the lighting for over 250 opera, theatre, and dance performances. She will examine how the dramaturgy of light is affected by live feed cameras as the "magnifying lens" of lighting design combines with the camera to focus viewers' attention on particular areas or actions on stage. Les Reflets d'Or - Golden Reflections on Dijon's Architectural Heritage -- In a special feature from the event's host city, lighting designer Popille will give a presentation of the rue de la Liberte lighting project in Dijon. From the lighting design team and architect working on it at the beginning of the project, commissioned by the city of Dijon, through the lighting design concept to the technical implementation, with particular emphasis on the dynamic lighting. Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone -- Based in Wales, Higgins has been lighting productions for theatre, opera, dance, musicals, and children's theatre for over 25 years. Reflecting on her role as lead lighting designer for Galwad (2022), a transmedia, multi-platform, and site-specific performance, Higgins will show how she worked in close collaboration with the director of photography and installation light artist, blending theatre lighting, single-shot cinematography, and a water projection installation to create a unique visual experience. Transforming the Industry: The Promises and Potentials of GDTF -- Self-proclaimed "lighting geek" (and LSA contributor) Schiller returns to Showlight, this time with a look into the world of GDTF (aka General Device Type Format). This standardized system allows users to describe easily the properties of lighting fixtures and other devices. But beware; there are also some pitfalls in the current implementations. Learn how to improve your workflow with GDTF and Schiller. Visit the Showlight 2025 website (www.showlight.org/speakers) to see the growing list of speakers, with more being added in the coming weeks. 
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