Council & Public Events · Brisbane Region

Working With Redland City Council

Redland City's island communities are culturally diverse. The communities have deep connections to different cultural traditions. The council wanted to celebrate that diversity with a multicultural festival that honoured each culture's presence on the islands. That meant lighting that could support multiple performance types and reflect cultural specificity. When we designed the island multicultural celebration lighting, we worked with cultural community representatives to understand what each performance needed. We learned that lighting isn't neutral—it carries cultural meaning. A Polynesian dance group might need different lighting language than a Filipino musical ensemble, which might be different again from an Aboriginal performance. The main stage at Dunwich got a flexible lighting rig: 16x intelligent colour-mixing fixtures that could be reprogrammed between acts. But the reprogramming wasn't random colour-chasing—it was based on genuine understanding of what each cultural performance needed to land. We created lighting palettes for each group, then programmed those into the console so the operator could shift between them efficiently. Aboriginal performances got grounded, respectful lighting: warm tones, front light that emphasized connection with the audience, distributed ambient light that created gathering atmosphere. The emphasis was on the performer's presence, not spectacle. Pacific Islander performances got more dynamic lighting: colour shifts that reflected ocean and landscape themes, distributed ambient light that created energy without losing the performers. The emphasis was on celebrating the vibrant culture. Asian performances got lighting that supported nuance: front light that showed facial expression, backlighting that created separation and focus, distributed ambient that kept the audience engaged. The emphasis was on technical precision and clarity. The event ran for one evening in late October. Six different cultural groups performed. Every group told us afterward that the lighting had elevated their performance—they felt supported and honoured. The audience feedback emphasized that every group felt equally valued and equally celebrated. By November, the council had committed to making the multicultural celebration annual. They'd realized that cultural events require lighting that understands cultural context, not lighting that imposes external style. The real lesson: inclusive and multicultural event design means understanding that lighting carries cultural meaning. When you take time to understand what each cultural tradition needs, and you deliver lighting that honours that specificity, the celebration lands deeper. People feel seen and valued. That's the work that matters.