Blackout : bringing lighting design and technology awareness to Black youth and under supported communities

The need for more Black lighting designers is not foreign information to the Live Design field. Most BIPOC youth and young adults aren’t even aware that the lighting design field is a career option. This must be taught at the secondary education level so that these students have that knowledge of the lighting design field when choosing higher education or joining the workforce. The purpose of Blackout is to bring awareness of lighting design and technology to Black youth and communities with no theater education, who would not otherwise have the knowledge of lighting design or technology. Through my thesis, I have created a video series to teach a general introduction of lighting design and technology. The information was presented in classrooms for students to watch and gain awareness of the lighting design field. The videos were accessible to youth ages 10-17. Through a final anonymous questionnaire, I examined the significance of the workshop videos being taught by a Black lighting designer and centered around Black students and communities with no theater education programs. My goal was to lend awareness of the lighting design field, show the youth in those schools that lighting design and technology are possible career paths, and hopefully diversify the future lighting design and technology fields.