Hasta La Motion!

Building on the critical acclaim of Speed of Light Edinburgh, our international debut in Japan was also a huge success. In creative partnership with the British Council, Speed of Light Yokohama was presented as part of Smart Illumination Yokohama, from 31 October to 4 November 2012. The annual festival, themed on sustainability and energy-saving technology, commissioned NVA’s Speed of Light to create a moving nightscape in Yokohama’s urban environment over two nights of the festival. Creative Director Angus Farquhar collaborated with Japanese choreographer Makiko Izu, Director of Tokyo-based performance company Grinder Man, to develop a unique response to the environment. Titled 3 movements, 100 choreographed runners activated the city streets and waterfront areas over 3 and 4 November 2012. Sparkling lines of runners, each generating their own power and animated by remotely controlled wireless technologies, created a stunning visual language across a series of landmark sites including the Foreign Office designed International Ferry Terminal, with its remarkable asymmetrical wooden walkways extending out into the ocean. Smart Illumination Yokohama was established following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and the increasing need to utilize LED lights, solar panels and other energy generation methods and energy storing systems. For more information, visit www.nvaspeedoflight.org.uk www.nva.org.uk