Guildhall School launches Guildhall Live Events, a new commercial department specialising in creating immersive and interactive digital experiences
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Guildhall School of Music & Drama today launches an innovative new department - Guildhall Live Events. Specialising in creating immersive and interactive digital experiences for external clients, it has been set up to act as a conduit between the professional artistic, creative and entertainment industries and the world class educational practices of Guildhall School.
Guildhall Live Events combines innovative and advanced design with solid experience of successful live events delivery. Immersive and interactive digital experiences are a growing area of employment in the arts sector, and Guildhall School are at the forefront of training the next generation of designers, technicians and production professionals for this industry. Guildhall Live Events’ mission is to support their education in real world contexts while delivering professional quality projects for commercial and cultural clients, creating outstanding content for all audiences.
Sean Gregory, Director of Innovation and Engagement at Guildhall School and Barbican says: ‘Guildhall School has been presenting ground-breaking work in this area for some time now, led by Dan Shorten and his highly talented team, so I am delighted that Guildhall Live Events is now fully established. Collaboration and innovation sit at the heart of this partnership between a conservatoire and industry where students and staff produce high level, professional work for hundreds and thousands of people to enjoy.’
Led by award-winning director and designer Dan Shorten, the team draws upon expertise from the production arts, drama and music production departments at the School. Their celebrated work has been engaged by various nationwide clients in recent years, including at renowned festivals, touring theatre, and exclusive private events. All income generated goes back into supporting Guildhall School, one of the world’s leading conservatoires and drama schools.
Expertise in the team is wide-ranging with services including:
- Visual design & production
- Video projection mapping
- LiDAR and 360° capture
- Virtual reality
- Music and sound design
- Audio production and delivery systems
- Bespoke consultations and artwork design
- Large-scale outdoor projection spectaculars
- Indoor displays for private events, commercial launches and exhibitions
- Immersive exhibitions & installations
- Equipment rental/projection hire
Past clients include:
- Artichoke
- Barbican Centre
- British Museum
- Blackpool Illuminations (Lightworks)
- Glastonbury Festival
- Museum of London
- Tower Bridge
- Tower of London
- Waddesdon Manor
Case studies
Beasts of London (open until January 2020)
Inspired by the Museum of London’s collection and created by Guildhall Live Events, in collaboration with over 100 Guildhall School students and graduates, this multi-media, interactive experience at the Museum tells the story of how animals have helped to shape our capital city through the centuries. Bringing together intricate scenic artwork and set design, the latest video project mapping technology and an original orchestra underscore, Beasts of London transports audiences to nine different moments in London’s animal history from the crowds of the Roman amphitheatre to the busy streets of today’s Trafalgar Square.
Narrated throughout from the perspective of London’s animal inhabitants, the characters are voiced by Guildhall School actors, alongside celebrities such as Kate Moss, Brian Blessed and Pam Ferries. The experience inspires audiences to think about London’s history in a new way.
The Beasts of Bartholomew Fair (August 2019)
Working with the Museum of London, Guildhall Live Events created a VR experience for Smithfield Street Party: A Beastly Adventure, a free one-day festival closing Culture Mile’s 2019 summer season of public programming, Play the Mile. The event celebrated the animals of London as a development of the Museum’s current exhibition, Beasts of London.
The five-minute VR experience highlighted objects from the Museum of London’s collections, and featured animals from London’s past and present through an interactive universe staged around a grand animal tea party, where audiences shared a table with mischievous creatures as they munched and played their way through our interpreted take on London’s historic Bartholomew Fair.
Waddesdon Christmas Carnival (December 2018)
Guildhall Live Events were invited to return to Waddesdon Manor for a second year, drawing on the Manor’s rich collection to create three bespoke installations for the 2018 Christmas Carnival. Inspired by the Manor’s 17th century manuscript, Ballet Royal de la Nuit, the team used video projection mapping to transform the façade of the 19th century stables into a visual story interwoven with characters from the ballet.
The projection was accompanied by an original score composed by Guildhall School’s Electronic Music Department. A bespoke audio trail was created for the Manor’s Woodland Playground featuring 13-character silhouettes inspired by the Manor’s collection, each with their own sounds to bring them to life. The team also produced a custom-built light tunnel. Individually mapped LED lights danced around the audience in playful patterns whilst a bespoke soundscape took visitors on a dynamic sonic journey, evolved as they moved through the tunnel.
More examples of work can be found on the Guildhall Live Events new website.