By Benoit Beauchamp
As a kid, I grew up around teachers. My parents were working at a school in Montreal. They lured most of the school faculty, companions and family at their memorable nights of never ending festivities and food. When they began to cook, the town woke up from a dream. My parent’s culinary aroma submerged every road in town. I found myself in a world of curious people: philosophers, doctors, psychologists, artists, sociologists, mathematicians and the list goes on. I knew one day I’d be like them but I wanted to do it on my own. I chose an unorthodox route.
I studied in a special class. The class itself met once a week. I had usually two or three nights of special classes every week. We usually started the night without any outsiders. The air was still free of smoke but soon enough, it changed. I was studying to be a light jockey. People crawled in at night and left at dawn. They were the creatures of the night. The loud music involved raw emotions that I translated into pure visual imagery. House music rumbled into the night making my body elevate into a state of peacefulness. The chaos generated by exuberant dancers, head bangers, players and the like, created a state of well-being, balance and oneness with myself. From this birth, I came to love and understand the power of light.
From this nightly ritual, I moved on to a more exotic location working as a lighting GO, “gentil organisateur”, for Club Med. I went on a long and crude journey to arrive at the inevitable, I matured. From Mexico, to the Bahamas and Switzerland, I arrived at the California Institute of the Arts. This hazardous ride made me feel trivial, so small in this big world. Yet, I became stronger.
My mentor, Christopher Akerlind, opened the door of CalArts and guided me through my studies. He led me to understand my process as a designer. He gave me the missing tools in order for me to be a collaborator. From there, I started to view design as a small aspect of the whole. In order to be in the business of spectacle, I needed to cultivate the process of making the product. A finished product is not the only thing that matters.
The state surrounding CalArts makes me feel like I am in my church, like I belong. Events after events, drinks after drinks, the amount of work conceptualized, created and performed gave me an electrifying energy. I needed to share my passion, to create a world in which everything is possible. The years have passed and I have been able to be a part of several interdisciplinary works involving artists of various backgrounds. This has partly fed my thirst for creation. I enjoy working in different environments and with numerous artists who share a joy for exploration. The diversity of thought made my own ideas stronger. It’s also a place of great joy to me because it’s where I met my wife, Rose Pasquarello. I spent more time in the dance department where I work then theatre where I studied.
From all of those experiences, I have come to the conclusion that one day I would like to own a performance space where it’s possible to nurture experimental work created by various artists. It would act as a vehicle for new work and touring companies. It is a dream.
As for now, I walk through different roads but the goal is more or less like everyone else. I want to be able to keep working. I want to be able to create a world where drama lives. I want to work in lighting design. In conclusion, I want to create a company that will keep me fresh.
