Geolights were developed for award-winning and large-scale outdoor events ‘Green Space Dark Skies’ envisioned by Walk the Plank. Hundreds of the colour changing lights were the defining feature of this ambitious project, with thousands participating in over 20 UK sites. 500 unique geo-positioning lights are now available to organisers for creating stunning mass participation events globally. Geolights were innovated by arts company Walk the Plank working with experts in the fields of engineering, creative technologies and lighting, Siemens, Core Lighting and Bluman Associates.
With over 30 years of experience, Walk the Plank are leaders in exemplary outdoor arts and participation events. Winner of six awards including ‘Best Use of Technology’ at the Event Production Awards 2023, Green Space Dark Skies took thousands of people into the UK’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Conceived and produced by Walk the Plank, over 20 mass participation events were choreographed at dusk with hundreds of people carrying Geolights through stunning landscapes. By remotely changing the colour of the lights, according to location, each person became a ‘pixel’ within a co-ordinated image or shape, forming a live artwork within the landscape.
“We are thrilled to introduce Geolights to the world,” says John Wassell, Creative Producer and co-founder of Walk the Plank. “Geolights are not just a lighting solution; they are a catalyst for transforming landscapes and mass gatherings of people into living works of art that minimise light pollution. Our ambition for Geolights continues, and we are now expanding the capabilities through ongoing research and development. We invite creatives, artists, and designers to use their imaginations and join us on this groundbreaking journey as we redefine the possibilities of meaningful and magical people-centred spectacle. “
Geolights include GPS-enabled technology allowing realtime location tracking. In a remarkable breakthrough in the field of lighting technology, the Geolights content can be pre-programmed to a specific geographical location and the Wi-Fi show canvas can be an area similar to the size of a football pitch.
The lights were manufactured by CORE Lighting in Gloucester using mainly UK-supplied parts sourced locally to the assembly site, and recyclable materials. Siemens graduate engineers Annabel Ohene and Nathaniel Fernandes integrated Siemens processing technology into them.
Annabel Ohene said: “Incorporating the geo-locating technology means that the people can be anywhere, but the pattern will still be coherent.” Nathaniel Fernandes added: “Working on this project tested what is possible when it comes to self-locating lighting systems in an outdoor environment. It has been great to work on something that has a fantastic social purpose but also potential applications in industries like manufacturing and logistics.”
Phil Ion, managing director at CORE Lighting said: “The technological advance created by the Geolights and its control system is a concept the event lighting industry has never seen before. It will be looked back on as a key milestone for event technology, and the development process continues so we can increase the number of devices used at once.”
With a portfolio that spans large-scale spectacles, festivals, and theatrical productions, Walk the Plank delivers unforgettable experiences to thousands of people every year pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of events and entertainment.
Bluman Associates were responsible for creating the dynamic visual effects, Pod Bluman said: “I’ve experienced a Green Space Dark Skies event as a participant and it was a truly enchanting experience to be part of a huge gathering to create magic with these Geolights. The potential to create awe-inspiring experiences that people can take part in with no rehearsals or prior training for incorporating in ceremonies, cultural events openings and epic events is absolutely enormous. The possibilities to create collective effervescence are endless. ”
People who took part in Green Space Dark Skies cited their experiences as positive and joyful, for all ages and abilities, a participant at Giant’s Causeway said: “Thrilling experience. A brilliant concept with stunning scenery, haunting melodies and just full-on fun and a feeling of a community at ease with each other.”
There are two more iterations for Walk the Plank’s Geolights experience already in the pipeline.
Green Space Dark Skies was produced by Walk the Plank and commissioned by UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK in 2022. To find out more about Geolights, how they are made and can be used visit www.greenspacedarkskies.uk
