The Fabric of our Society

February 2022

Light Reach

Lighting designer Jenny Werbell, who joined the Light Reach Network in 2021 as Community Outreach volunteer, presented the initiative’s latest developments to the IESNYC board: “Light Reach is a game-changer for social action in our community” says Werbell, “It offers a clear path to scale-up the positive impact of lighting design worldwide and our industry’s philanthropic culture.”

Lives in the Dark Matter
Light Reach is a charitable lighting design initiative that addresses global light poverty with an affordable, replicable and rapidly deployable project model. Its simple framework brings together lighting experts, local users and partners in a collaborative design process. A homegrown endeavor, it is operated from New York by the nonprofit PhoScope which raises funds, formalizes partnerships, and coordinates projects from lighting supply to team logistics. In time, Light Reach will spin-off as a nonprofit under new leadership.

With seed grants from the IESNYC and the DLFNY, Light Reach launched “Recreo de Noche” in 2018 to light community playgrounds in Puerto Rico. The pilot program was led by lighting designer Marién Velez and Werbell, then Senior Lighting Designer at WeWork, organized a global fundraiser in 6 cities to support it.

Today, both the scope and network of Light Reach have expanded, and so has support from the lighting community. Light Reach launched “Light for Lebanon” in 2020 with Beirut-based lighting designer Manal Kahale. The team has already placed almost 4,000 solar lights and collaborates with local partners on projects that include installations with residents, temporary interventions on cultural projects, and designing permanent installations for architectural, landscape and urban projects.

Support from industry donors and corporate sponsors has grown thanks to the passionate efforts of fundraising ambassadors, and networks such as WIL’s Teemill and the Virtual Lighting Design Community have committed all profits to Light Reach. Light Reach and Light for Lebanon each received an international 2021 Women in Lighting award.
“I felt really inspired to help in a greater capacity,” says Werbell, who recently organized a WILD fundraiser event with Kelly Roberts, moderated by Sam Koerbel from Lytei.

Light is about Life after Dark
Lighting professionals are well-positioned to bring positive social change. With our technical and artistic expertise, we can facilitate people’s access to light with impactful lighting initiatives that have real short- and long-term personal, educational and economic benefits. Lit outdoor public spaces support communities’ social, cultural and recreational livelihood, increase well-being and help reduce physical casualties related to darkness. Plus, solar lighting equipment is a sustainable resource for communities’ long-term resilience.

Workshops offered by Light Reach’s volunteers cover various topics for participants of varying ages, such as “kitchen-table” lighting issues for daily life (e.g. practical implications of spectral and optical distribution, color rendering and luminance), luminaire crafting (e.g. custom shades and optical accessories for permanent or festive applications), landscape lighting etc.

Light is a Right
“We also need to satisfy the younger generation of professionals who expect a greater philanthropic culture in our industry, and the Light Reach model is a win-win,” adds Werbell, “Corporate Social Responsibility policies and Corporate Philanthropy practices are good business and marketing: they boost brand awareness, company prestige and employee pride. And there are so many tools to work with—from donations to earmarked profits, annual sponsorships, grants and legacy giving—not to mention supporting staff who volunteer.”

Light Reach is on a mission to advance lighting justice, and it is getting traction from the New York and international lighting community. “We can’t wait for our network to grow so we can launch new programs.”

To learn more, you can contact Jenny Werbell and the Light Reach team at [email protected]
lightreach.net
#lightreachnet
#lightreach

Following are images from Light for Lebanon: Temporary installation in Beirut for outdoor event.
Photo Courtesy: Temporary Art Platform.