“Beyond this gateway, everything shifts. The forest awaits you…”
These words were spoken by the hosts as they drew back the curtain and welcomed visitors to Rituals for Earthly Survival, one of the immersive projections projects we’ve been involved with over the past year. It took place in Portsmouth staged by local artist collective one000plateaus as part of the 2024 We Shine Portsmouth programme.
We actively seek out interesting projects to work on, and when Roy Hannay contacted us to ask if we could help Blackbeam jumped at the chance. Blackbeam brings a strong creative ethos to delivering technical solutions for sound lighting and visual projects throughout the UK, from heritage installations to corporate and community events.
We do love getting involved in immersive projections events which allow for expression and unleashing the imagination!
It can be at scale, like our night time illuminations on the pier at Glastonbury on Sea, but we also love the possibilities which come with working with artistic vision in smaller spaces. As well as providing AV for gallery shows and exhibitions we also collaborate with the likes of artist collectives Pattern Recognition and Art Bloc Limbic Cinema – transforming any spaces
Immersive Projections for We Shine Portsmouth
The annual We Shine Portsmouth initiative “is all about bringing something special to Portsmouth in the winter—something free, accessible, and full of creativity”. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, one000plateaus is an experimental artist collective with a roster including visual creators, sound designers, movement practitioners, and scenographers. Its aim is to “blur boundaries between the imagination and reality”.
The project Blackbeam worked on involved using sound, light and immersive projections to create an immersive 360° backdrop for live choreography inspired by the Japanese dance art form of Butoh. The element of grotesque (exaggerated movements and ghostly make up) fitted the theme of ‘restless past and uncertain future’ encapsulated in the Rituals for Earthly Survival performance.
The challenge was to get a fully immersive projection solution into a relatively small space, without the projection getting in the way of the performance and visitors. Using Panasonic Projectors with the latest Ultra short throw lenses, allowed the projection to be hung up out of the way and delivering a bright and incredibly wide projection onto each wall.
An important aspect of the Blackbeam credo is to foster the next generation of talent. We do this at home, with in-house placements in our workshop, offering students from local colleges the opportunity to develop new skills and see their work practically applied, for example as part of a projection bombing exercise.
Next Generation of Techs from Solent University
In Portsmouth it was insightful and rewarding to work alongside tech students from Solent University who were contributing to the one000plateaus project. We were impressed by their contribution and willingness to learn and got a lovely testimonial from Roy Hanney, one of the directors on the production team:
“One of the great things about working with Blackbeam, other than the enthusiasm and expertise, is the willingness to work with the students who were involved with the show. Taking the time to skill them up and support their learning on the job was extremely valued. This is the kind of value added you don’t get with most AV companies.”
To that, we would reply “Our pleasure!”. With creative industries at a crossroads with the rapid advance of AI, it’s important to support those coming through and share the real world experience that comes from working in the industry for many years. Tech is amazing, but as these images of immersive projections illustrate, tech in the hands of people who understand an audience is what elevates experience to new levels!
Why Arts Events Matter in Communities
It’s also important to acknowledge the vital contribution that initiatives like We Shine Portsmouth provide to local communities. Just as AI is changing the creative landscape, town and city landscapes are being changed as our ‘digital century’ forms new habits – from online shopping to streaming and VR.
Cities are collective spaces and vibrancy, engagement and community interaction is what keeps them fresh and alive. If we can’t communally revel in something that is different, spontaneous and challenging our sense of creativity then our world risks becoming rather grey, screen locked and bland as a result…
