The Litten Trees are eight gifts to local communities around the UK: temporary light sculptures in everyday public settings that have been carefully chosen to be seen by those communities as they enjoy their daily exercise or go about their daily business.
Renowned lighting designers who in normal times would be working in our theatres have been brought together by arts producer Fuel to invite people to look again at the landscapes they pass each day, to see the resilience and tenacity that has been so necessary in this last year reflected in nature’s determination to keep going in the hope of a brighter tomorrow.
The lighting designers have each chosen trees somewhere close to where they have lived in lockdown and to which they feel an affinity. The resulting designs that illuminate those trees will be a public celebration of tenacity, resilience and optimism.
The Litten Trees take many forms: from pines shaped by the Atlantic winds in Cornwall through hazel groves in the Welsh valleys and a dance of oaks in Glasgow to a sleepy willow on Humberside. They are found in parks and in woodland walks, but also in housing estates and beside our playgrounds.
The trees will be seen in their new colours on the last three days before the official end of winter: on the evenings of March 25th , 26th and 27th. They will also be the stars of a short film by filmmaker Hugo Glendinning, also entitled The Litten Trees, to be released in May.
The designers selected are part of the freelance arts community which has arguably had one of the toughest journeys through the Coronavirus pandemic. With little, or no support from Government and no work since last March, freelancers have been some of the hardest hit. This project aims to offer a small number of them the chance to work and create small symbols of hope at the end of a very long year.
Each installation will be carried out in accordance with strict Covid protocols amended to reflect any local specifics. All equipment used will conform to appropriate standards for electrical safety in outdoor settings and be installed by trained professionals. The project aims to be environmentally conscious about power, transport and consumption of resources.
Details of The Litten Tree locations will be published on Fuel’s website www.fueltheatre.com/projects/the-litten-trees/ on 15 March.
Fuel @fueltheatre
Fuel leads the field in independent producing in the UK’s live performance sector. We work with brilliant artists to make fresh experiences for adventurous people. To date, many of these experiences have been theatre, whether that’s in an actual theatre, on the streets, in community settings, or in purpose-built structures. All of the artists Fuel works with produce shows, performances or experiences which have clear, direct and playful relationships with their audiences. They appeal to the emotions and the intellect. Things that make you laugh and cry. These artists see the world in a different way; they respond to challenges and difficulties with ingenuity and ideas; they create something unexpected which articulates something new to audiences. Fuel was founded in 2004 and is led by Kate McGrath. Fuel is supported by Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, Fenton Arts Trust, the Garrick Trust, the Backstage Trust, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust through Sustaining Excellence.
Jason Addison
Jason is a Graduate of the ALD Lumiére Scheme. He is an Associate Artist at The Herd Theatre and Associate Designer at Chapterhouse Theatre Company and Rhubarb Theatre. Recent designs include: Orpheus in the Record Shop (Leeds Playhouse), Dustbin Doris (Rhubarb Theatre), Beauty and the Beast, (Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage), Humbug! The Hedgehog Who Couldn’t Sleep (Dumbshow).
Daniella Beattie
Daniella Beattie Award winning lighting designer (Wicked Lady Best Lighting Design, TMA Awards 2009). Trained Bretton Hall, became resident lighting designer for New Vic Theatre Stoke-on-Trent in 2000 designing over 100 productions in-the-round including, Prince and the Pauper, 39 Steps, Wind in the Willows and Snow Queen.
Chuma Emembolu
Chuma Emembolu trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company, under the tutelage of the Chief Electrician and Lighting Designer. Highlights: Tales from Ovid – Swan theatre, Don Juan – Hoxton Hall Theatre, Bouncers and Shakers – Gulbenkian Theatre/Marlow Theatre, Tainted The Musical – The Vaults. LightingDesign Credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, King Lear, The Tempest, Popcorn, Anthony and Cleopatra, Night Before The Buzz. Dare to Do, Last one Here. Romeo and Juliet, Metamorphosis, Gift of the Gab and many more. Chuma is also associate lighting designer at The Bread & Roses Theatre, White Bear theatre and Golden Goose theatre and a Freelance Lighting Designer for Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. He is the Artistic Director of Stage Splinters Theatre Company, Writing and Directing a Musical adaptation of Macbeth with puppets.
Kristina Hjelm
Since graduating from Rose Bruford College in 2001 Kristina has worked extensively as a lighting designer within a great range of performance styles and genres both in the UK and internationally. Together with Japanese director/performer Sachi Kimura, she runs ‘Flying Eye Performance Company’, a cross-art collaboration in which both artists use their personal stories to devise new work.
Katy Morison
Katy is a Lighting Designer based in South Wales who works with Theatre companies and directors both in Wales and across the UK. Her recent work includes The Glee Club for Out of Joint, The Snow Queen for Sherman Theatre and The Violence Series of 3 new plays at The Other Room. She has worked as an Associate Designer and Re-lighter on tour for many productions, and as a lecturer and Supervisor at RWCMD. She was part of the Lighting Team at Sherman Theatre for over 7 years.
Josh Pharo
Josh is a Lighting, Video and Creative Caption Designer. Designing since 2012, I have worked with companies including The Royal Court, National Theatre, Gate Theatre, Belarus Free Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Royal Exchange Manchester & The Almeida. During 2020 I’ve been exploring digital theatre making, filmmaking, live streaming and furthering creative access.
Lizzie Powell
Some previous work includes: Mother courage, The Mighty Walzer, Anna Karenina (Royal Exchange); Avalanche: A Love Story (Barbican); King John, Macbeth (RSC); Our Town (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Our LAdies of Perpetual Succour (West End / NTS); Cyrano De Bergerac (Citizens Theatre / NTS / Lyceum Thetre); Kes (Perth Theatre); Dial M For Murder (UK Tour / SImon Friend Entertainment Ltd); Smile (Dundee Rep); Mountaintop (Young Vic Studio); Endgame, Fever Dream, Southside, The Libertine, Krapp’s Last Tape and Footfalls (Citizens Theatre); Victory Condition, B, Human Animals, Violence and Son (Royal Court Theatre); Hedda Gabler, Frankenstein (Northern Stage / UK Tour); Red Dust Road, Adam, Glasgow Girls, In Time O’ Strife, An Appointment with the Wicker Man, Knives and Hens, Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off and Venus As A Boy (NTS); Country Girls (Chichester Festival Theatre); Romeo and Juliet (Sheffield Crucible); Unknown Island (The Gate); Secret Theatre (Lyric Hammersmith); What Girls Are Made Of (Traverse Theatre).
Jackie Shemesh
Jackie works as a lighting designer for Dance, Theatre, Performances, Installations and Music. Theatre and Dance designs in the UK include works for Sadler’s Wells, Manchester International Festival, National Theatre, Young Vic Theatre, Bush Theatre, Almeida Theatre and several works at the West End among others.
Hugo Glendinning
Hugo Glendinning has been working as a photographer and filmmaker for thirty years. His output stretches across the cultural industries from contemporary art collaborations in video and photography, through production and performance documentation to portrait work.
He has worked with most leading British theatre and dance companies and is regularly commissioned by Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. He has published and exhibited work internationally, notably his career long ongoing project of documentation and the investigation of performance with Tim Etchells and Forced Entertainment Company.
His work with artists Paola Pivi, Martin Creed, Matthew Barney, Michael Clark, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Yinka Shonibare MBE and Franko B recording both performances for camera and gallery/studio events are in private collections and museums around the world.
