Michael Hulls

Cascade of light illuminates Sadler’s Wells’ curtain

As part of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Sadler’s Wells current building, we commissioned our Associate Artist Michael Hulls to create a light installation for the stage curtain of our main auditorium, which is usually lit with red light.

“I immediately imagined a slow wave of light descending the curtain that would be understated and subtle. Something people might not immediately sense, something peripheral. I’ve always been interested in creating movement through light, movement that might not immediately be apparent, and this was an opportunity to do that,” says Hulls. “Something you might catch out of the corner of your eye while chatting to friends or reading the programme for the show you are about to see. A slowly repeated descent of a curtain of light, to create some gentle pre-show movement in the auditorium.”

The lighting installation will grace our stage curtain pre-show throughout the year, starting with the performances by Richard Alston Dance Company this week. Watch a clip of the installation and find out when it will be on here.

Michael Hulls is nominated for Knight of Illumination award

Sadler’s Wells’ Associate Artist Michael Hulls has been nominated for a Knight of Illumination (KOI) award for his lighting design of Conceal / Reveal,  marking the 20th anniversary of his collaboration with choreographer Russell Maliphant. Hulls’ nomination in the Dance category of this year’s KOI Awards  comes as part of the shortlist announcement made today.

Besides his long-standing creative partnership with Maliphant, over the years Hulls has been collaborating with many leading choreographers and dancers, including , Akram Khan, Javier de Frutos and Liam Scarlett, as well as international dance companies.

The lighting designer won the KOI Dance award in 2009 for his work on Sadler’s Wells’ production Eonnagata, a collaboration with actor and theatre director Robert Lepage, dancer Sylvie Guillem and Russell Maliphant. Maliphant is also an Associate Artist at Sadler’s Wells, while Guillem, who retired a the end of 2015, is now Associate Artist Emeritus.

The KOI Awards’ ceremony will take place at London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith on Sunday 18 September.

 

 

Image: Conceal / Reveal – Piece No. 43, performed by Russell Maliphant Company. Photo: Hugo Glendinning