Lighting the Ungiven: A Creative Approach to Non-Text Based Design
A LECTURE BY VALENTINA TAMIOLAKI
The American College of Greece, Plaka Building, 17 Ipitou Str. 10557, Plaka, Athens
16/01/2026, 18:00
Organized by: ACG - Department of Music, Theatre Arts and Dance - Theatre Arts Program
THE EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. PLEASE REGISTER HERE BY JANUARY 15.
Photo details: Parrots at the Seabed by Elpida Orfanidou, Space E', Athens Epidaurus Festival 2011. Costume design: Hiroaki Kanai, lighting design: Valentina Tamiolaki © Evi Fylaktou
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Despite the collaborative nature of devised work, lighting designers are still frequently seen as technical support rather than artistic collaborators. Interestingly, the further a production departs from traditional methods, the less lighting designers are invited to creatively contribute to the mood, rhythm, spatial dynamics, and narrative structure of a non-text-based performance. As a result, although lighting technology continues to evolve rapidly, the dramaturgical potential of light remains underutilized. Drawing from personal research, design experimentation, and collaborative workshops, this lecture investigates the role of light within performances that move away from the centrality of the script. Valentina Tamiolaki will also present the outcomes of a practice-based inquiry into the dramaturgy of light, as conceptualized by lighting students within an educational context. Key concepts from Stanislavsky’s system, including the “magic if” and the “given circumstances”, are reinterpreted from the perspective of a lighting designer, providing student designers with a conceptual framework that applies to all types of contemporary theatre practice. However, rather than introducing a fixed method, this talk opens a space for dialogue about creative agency, interdisciplinary collaboration, and how designers might “light the ungiven”, in other words, how they can illuminate the unseen potential within non-verbal, process-led work.
https://www.acg.edu/events/lighting-the-ungiven-a-creative-approach-to-non-text-based-design/