David Walters’ Lifetime Achievement Award

Last Monday 18 June, 2018, a large group of industry professionals gathered at MEAA, Brisbane, to celebrate Lighting Designer David Walters being honoured with the Alan Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution and continued support of the Arts Industry in Queensland. It was the first time a Lighting Designer had been recognised in the awards.

For the past 40 years David Walters has worked as a professional Lighting Designer in Iceland and Australia. His work experience spans lighting design for opera, theatre, ballet, dance, puppetry, circus, exhibitions, major events and architectural installations.

From 1978 to 1986 David worked as a freelance lighting designer in Iceland where he is recognised as one of the pioneers in this field. In 1986 David returned to Australia to take up a position as Resident Lighting Designer with the Queensland Theatre Company (now Queensland Theatre).

Since 1990, as a freelance designer he has worked extensively throughout Australia and designed for the Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Handspan, Playbox, La Boite Theatre Company, Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus, Nimrod, Company B, Expressions, Queensland Ballet, Australian Ballet, opera Queensland, Brisbane Powerhouse, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Zen Zen Zo, Topology and Bell Shakespeare Company.

His work has toured extensively overseas and he has lectured in lighting design at several universities. He is currently Adjunct Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology. Throughout his professional career David has maintained close ties with Iceland where he has worked for the National Theatre, the National Opera and the Reykjavik City Theatre.

The Alan Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award has been given every year since 2002 by the Actors’ & Entertainers Benevolent Fund (Qld) Inc. Several previous recipients who included, Leo Wockner, Kaye Stevenson, Penny Everingham, June Craw, Jim Vile, Sue Rider and last year’s winner Robby Nason were present to help David celebrate his award.

Image: Paul Dellit presenting David Walters with his award