Lighting Design

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Lighting Designer, Paul J. Need is an accomplished British theatrical lighting designer, educator, and entrepreneur with over 40 years of industry experience. Boasting more than 500 production credits, he has shaped the visual atmosphere of numerous performances across theatre, opera, music theatre, dance, and live music. Need formally entered the theatrical world in the early 1980s. He trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1983 to 1984. Recognising his technical skill and artistic vision, RADA invited him back to join the institution's teaching staff in 1988, where he helped train the next generation of stage technicians and designers.

Deeply committed to mentorship, Paul launched The Lighting Design Collective through his company. This 12-month professional development network provides emerging lighting designers with free training, mentorship, and vital access to technical equipment to kickstart their careers.

Lighting Design Collective

The Lighting Design Collective is a professional support network, founded by 10outof10 Productions, dedicated to empowering emerging talent. We provide rising designers with direct access to the essential lighting equipment needed to bring their creative visions to life. Over an initial 12-month period, we surround our members with hands-on technical support, tailored training, and expert mentoring. In an increasingly competitive industry, The Collective is designed to offer a crucial helping hand, building a rock-solid foundation for a long and successful career. The scheme has been running since 2022.

2026 Lighting Designers

Catja Hamilton is a freelance Lighting Designer working predominantly in theatre, but with an interest in all art forms. She co-runs Airlock Theatre and is a Creative Associate at Jermyn Street Theatre for 2022-23.

Previous productions include: Cassandra (Omnibus Theatre); Time and Tide (UK Tour); The Anarchist, Duck, Shake the City (Jermyn Street Theatre); Dolly, Another America, The 4th Country (Park Theatre); An Intervention (Riverside Studios); Lizard King (UK tour); Patient Light (The Undercroft); I Have Heard You Calling in the Night (Union Theatre); Hot Gay Time Machine (Soho Theatre); how we love (Arcola Outside, VAULT Festival); Take Care, TUNA (VAULT Festival); Venus and Adonis (Bussey Building); She Sells Sea Shells (Edinburgh Fringe); ERIS (Bunker Theatre).

She has also worked as an Associate and Assistant on productions at the Hampstead Theatre and Southwark Playhouse and was the inaugural Creative Team Associate in Lighting on the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet in May 2021.

Tyler Forward is a Lighting and Video Designer, based in London. Tyler trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, specialising in Lighting and Video Design. He has worked internationally as a Designer / Associate in Theatre, Concerts and Site-Specific Design.

As Designer, theatre includes; Welcome To Noware (George Bernard Shaw); Merrily We Roll Along (Playground); Scenes From A Repatriation (Royal Court); Spitfire Girls (Tour); Death on the Throne The Loosical (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Mack); The Legend of Them (Royal Court) A Midsummer Night's Dream (Backstage); The Turn of The Screw (Queens) G (Royal Court); Dorian The Musical (Southwark Playhouse); Sunday In Park with George (Mack); Diana The Musical Concert (Eventim Apollo); Trompe L’Oiel (The Other Palace); Loserville (Blackheath Halls); Our House (The Albany); No Man’s Island, Redemption, Mission (The Big House); Play, The Games (P&O Arvia); Silence (Donmar/Tara); Musical Theatre Showcase (Trinity Laban); Roles We’ll Never Play, Close Quarters (RADA); Opening Up: The Mental Health Musical (Union); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Electric); Nor Woman Neither (Tristan Bates); Macbeth (Vanbrugh); Stoning Mary (George Bernard Shaw).

Brett Kasza was born in Guelph, Canada and graduated from Rose Bruford with a BA in Lighting Design previously graduating with honours in Technical Production for Theatre and Live events from Sheridan College in Oakville, Canada.

He specializes in communication and collaboration. Having the ability to translate ideas to the stage from concepts is a key part of his work. In a positive and energetic work flow Brett always brings a unique and passionate energy to every production he works on.

Brett's goal in theatre and the arts is to work with others who want to challenge normal conventions. Whether this is through the people, and stories told on stage or in production meetings, he wants to ensure that every voice is heard to create the best art possible.

Having worked and studied in multiple countries, Brett's Lighting Design continues to evolve to be ever more creative and inspiring.

Jodie Underwood is a lighting designer with credits across drama, musicals, opera and physical theatre. She has designed in venues all over the UK and her work has been seen touring both nationally and internationally across Europe and the USA. Her bold and exciting lighting designs have drawn critical acclaim and multiple award nominations.

She is particularly interested in new writing, new musicals, and work celebrating trans voices. Jodie is a proud associate artist of award winning physical theatre company Voloz Collective.

She is also an experienced associate lighting designer and EOS programmer. Jodie is a member of the Association of Lighting Production and Design.

Jodie Is represeted by CVH Management

Ben Garcia is a London based lighting designer and programmer working in theatre, dance and musicals. Ben graduated from LAMDA in 2022.

I have a style I try to bring to all productions that I developed as a young adult pursuing a passion for photography that developed into lighting design, embracing shadows and deep contrasts. I love to combine technology and art in new and experimental ways to change the way we make and experience art. I’m currently experimenting with photorealistic visualisation to enable creatives to develop and experiment collaboratively at all scales before technical rehearsals, reducing time, costs and environmental waste.

Previous design work includes Bring Back Chainmail (East Anglia Tour), Princess Essex (Essex Tour & Bush Theatre), Petal (Omnibus Theatre), Confusions (Questors Theatre), Rachael Reynolds Dance (Woldingham School) and Matilda the Musical Jr (Questors Theatre). Previous programming work includes Ravenscourt (Hampstead Theatre), The Prince (Southwark Playhouse) and Sir John in Love (Holland Park Opera).

10outof10 invite new applicants to The Lighting Design Collective for 2027-28. email paul @ 10outof10.co.uk for more details.