Client:        Events ACT – ACT Government
Role:           Creative Producer

Staged over two consecutive weekends in late Feb and early March, Enlighten invites audiences to experience Canberra’s cultural collections and attractions in an entirely new light.

Enlighten aims to be an innovative and contemporary cultural event of national significance; presenting an annual program of the highest caliber cultural content, presented after dark in the capitals iconic buildings. Works in the Enlighten program reflect on and respond to the fabric of the city, the national cultural collections it houses and the national institutions that operate here.

During Enlighten the grounds of Canberras parliamentary triangle are transformed into a buzzing hub of activity; spectacular architectural projections enticing audiences to roam the event site where they will find a range of interactive performance and installation works and plenty of delicious dining options.

Big Special was Creative Producer for Enlighten in 2012, 2013 and 2014, overseeing event programming, coordinating all stakeholders relationships, negotiating artist contracts and coordinating event logistics.

Big Specials Gemma Pepper was pivotal in reshaping the structure and relevance of the event through the implementation of a layered and nuanced program of multi-artform performance. During Big Specials involvement in the festival audience numbers increased 15 fold, from 8678 in 2011 to over 131,556 in 2014 the number of event partners engaged in the event grew from 3 in 2011 to 17 in 2014.