Artist Feedback

Here are some examples of the feedback that artists have given after performing at Lumen.

'Really enjoyed the night. The Lumen organisers were very professional and made me as an artist feel very welcome. The set up was very nice with a feel of knowledge & understanding from Lumen.
The venue Popolo was a very chilled cultured surrounding. I would have no hesitation performing for Lumen again.'
Paul Smyth | Testin Out Records

'I found the new set up which I used this time, two dvj’s, to be less restrictive than the software based option of last time. It was a more tactile and responsive way of working and is something I would like to develop further. As ever I found the support and organisation offered by Lumen to be excellent. Meetings were arranged and technology tested in advance of my performance, reassuring me and giving me a chance to test out my footage ahead of time. On the night of my performance I arrived to find all of the required equipment set up and ready to go, as someone who also organises events I appreciate how complex this can be and to see how Lumen had managed the whole process left me to worry only about my own performance.'
Alastair Good

'From a personal performance point of view, Lumen is a very refreshing event. With the emphasis placed upon the visuals rather than the music, brings a much more rewarding feeling often lost in performances in clubs and at events where the emphasis is not on the visuals.

I also feel as an established VJ to see persons have the opportunity to perform for the first time under the tutelage of Name is a great thing. Something I would have no doubt have benefited from had the opportunity been there when I first started out.

Overall an excellent event that not only promotes the art form of VJing and video production but also encourages practitioners of it, to collaborate, share knowledge and ideas no matter how advanced or experienced the persons are.'
Adam Finley | Retina Glitch

'The feedback that I received off friends on the night was very positive. I am also really happy with the level of promotions for the night, including the flyers, posters and Metro Newspaper article. They worked well as the bar was busy all night!
I would be happy to work on future events and am also looking into the possibility of getting my own equipment. This had been an amazing experience and a fantastic opportunity for me and I owe a lot of this to Name and my VJ partner Tina.'
Jen Weston

"I was impressed by the organisation and professionalism of the event I participated in . It was a relief to work with people who were prepared for the event. As it was my first time performing a live video mix with new equipment I appreciated being given a chance to look at the set up before I was due to play. Whilst performing it was reassuring to know that someone was keeping an eye on the projections and was available to help should there be any problems. The general environment around Lumen was one of support and encouragement, which I found to be very helpful in negotiating what was, for me, a new experience.
In terms of what the experience was like for me to perform using my own footage alongside a live DJ, I feel the event was incredibly successful. Initially I was looking for some new ways of working with sound and video in my art practice, what I discovered was a different way of working with my footage alongside someone else’s creative input. This doesn’t necessarily mean that I want to have someone else score the music for my video works, but rather, that I want to work again with someone else who is creating sound at the same time as I mix video.
Another interesting aspect of the evening was mixing my video with someone elses and seeing both being projected alongside the music. I didn’t expect that to either work so well or feel so satisfying as there is some compromise on control and content for both artists. I think there may be some interesting places to go with the idea of more than one vj performing at a time and with vj’s remixing each others work.
In short I had a great time working with Lumen and I know my practice has improved through the experience. At every stage the project was managed and maintained well and I would be glad to work with Lumen in the future."
Alastair Good

"Had a great evening playing in Popolo, it was good to have a get together of most of the visual artists in Newcastle. The venue was set out well and the time slots were great. Had fun and will definitely be at the next one."
Steve Transmission | Live visual artist

The Lumen event is a very rare and important thing that I am happy to be part of. There is little or no other events of it's type in Newcastle. This particular event has given me the chance to air alot of new, unreleased music, and on a particular tip. I was very happy to be paid for the event, as I am the kind of person and artist that would do a performance for nothing. I hope this event continues, and I would be happy to participate again."
Sharad | DJ | Producer

"The night provided an invaluable opportunity for me to present video work to a new audience – and also develop and learn new skills that will effect my
practice in the future. Lumen provides uncomplicated (and friendly) access to
a different working context that is often unavailable to artists."
Nisha Duggal | Visual artist

"I think it was good, though I feel that I maybe needed time before hand to get
to grips with the software and to see it projected rather than just on the
computer. Overall I think it was useful just to get some sort of feel of the
equipment before the main event on 21st November, 2020, and helped me
understand how to use and structure my clips."
Ben Jones | Visual artist