The Silhouette Awards continues to mark its fifth milestone year with an in-person event taking place on Thursday, the 4th of June 2026, at BDP in Central London.
Now firmly into its fifth year, the Silhouette Awards is a global mentorship programme dedicated to identifying, celebrating, and supporting the next generation of lighting design talent. Launched in 2021 through a collaboration between Parrot PR and Marketing and Archifos, it has evolved into a vibrant international community that champions creativity, knowledge-sharing, and forward-thinking design across the lighting industry.
Over the years, the programme has supported and helped transform the careers of participants worldwide, and this year also marks a significant milestone of 100 mentor–mentee pairings, reflecting the scale and impact of the growing network.
Bringing together mentors, mentees, sponsors, and contributors from across the programme, the event represents a key moment of reflection and celebration – recognising five years of mentorship, creative exchange, and professional development within the lighting design industry.
Taking place from 16:30–21:30 (UK time), the programme will explore the impact of the Silhouette Awards community to date, whilst looking ahead to the future of emerging talent and the evolving role of mentorship in shaping creative careers. This flagship event is designed as a curated evening of talks, dialogue, and global contributions that reflect the breadth and depth of the programme’s network.
The event will open with a welcome – addressing the journey of the Silhouette Awards, its community impact, and the structure of the event, alongside acknowledgements of supporting partners and sponsors, leading into the evening celebrations.
The Silhouette Awards event is supported by a range of industry partners and sponsors whose involvement helps bring the programme to life, including Signify Academy as Conference Sponsor, Studio Due as Evening Reception Sponsor, formalighting as Entertainment Sponsor, and One Eighty One as Tote Bag Sponsor, alongside continued media support from darc Media as official press partner.
In addition to the conference programme and evening reception, attendees can also expect a few carefully curated entertainment and community moments throughout the celebration.
A carefully curated programme of talks, conversations, and global video contributions will follow, moving between keynote reflections, mentor and mentee dialogue, and international perspectives. Together, these moments are set to highlight the depth of experience within the Silhouette Awards community and the shared values that continue to shape it.
Following the structured programme, guests will be invited to continue conversations at an evening networking reception with drinks and entertainment, offering further opportunity to connect and celebrate five years of the initiative. This milestone event reinforces the Silhouette Awards’ ongoing commitment to mentorship, inclusion, and the development of emerging talent across the industry.
Eve Gaut (Co-Founder) of the Silhouette Awards said, “Reaching five years feels like a defining moment for the Silhouette Awards. What began as a commitment to mentorship has grown into a living, evolving community shaped by the voices, journeys, and generosity of everyone involved. This event is about recognising that shared journey, while continuing to open doors for the next generation of talent.”
Katia Kolovea (Co-Founder) added, “The strength of the Silhouette Awards has always come from connection – between mentors and mentees, but also across cultures, disciplines, and stages of career. This milestone event is a reflection of that collective energy. It’s a moment to reflect on what has been built, and to look ahead with intention, confidence, and care for the future of the industry.”
Attendance & Registration
The event is open to the wider lighting and design community, and all attendees are kindly requested to register in advance through the RSVP platform due to limited capacity.
Attendance is complimentary for independent lighting designers, mentors, mentees, students, and invited guests of the Silhouette Awards community.
Manufacturers and industry professionals wishing to attend are warmly welcome to join through the available industry support tickets via the RSVP platform, helping support the delivery of the conference programme and evening celebration together with our event sponsors.
Spaces are limited and early registration is strongly encouraged. Click here for more information.
