Glowing Nature – DARKER SKY: The Light Challenge 2025 starts soon!

Under the banner of the EU Interreg North Sea project DARKER SKY, a new Light Challenge will take place from February to July 2025. The theme is Glowing Nature – DARKER SKY. The educational partners of DARKER SKY and other educational institutes that have an affinity with DARKER SKY or previous editions of the Light Challenge are invited to have their students participate in this challenge. They are bringing together a diverse group of disciplines to consider the theme of Glowing Nature – DARKER SKY. The DARKER SKY project and participating partners offer a wealth of information that can be included in the challenge. Fully in line with the digital era and necessity to work across borders, much of the competition will be digital. Masterclasses and a feedback moment will be offered online.
However, the final steps towards a festive final will take place LIVE in Groningen in the Netherlands during a Summer school where information, fun and experiences will be shared!

In 2005, the Heerenveen municipal council in the Netherlands approved new policy frameworks for lighting in public spaces. In 2008, this led to the adoption of the Lighting Policy Plan 2008-2011. Central to the policy was the question of what functions lighting public spaces should fulfill. This also implies the question of whether there are better alternatives to fulfill certain functions? In addition, the premise of that policy was that lighting should be more conscious. In other words ‘Off where possible’ and ‘Only on when necessary’. All this led to the idea of the Light Challenge in 2010 and the elaboration of the first Challenge in 2011 (municipalities of Heerenveen, Groningen and Assen). After the success of the first edition, the Light Challenge was organised again but nationwide in 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2021. Participating municipalities were Harlingen, Leeuwarden, Smallingerland, Ameland, Groningen, Assen, Hardenberg, Almelo, Nijmegen, Venray, Bergen op Zoom, Rotterdam, Leiden, Amsterdam and Almere. As initiator of the Light Challenge design competition, the municipality of Heerenveen has brought change to the world of public lighting by looking/doing things differently and working together with educators, entrepreneurs and government. An initiative that receives national recognition and is appreciated. In addition, it is now a unique collaboration in the field of lighting, sustainability, energy, green, waste reuse and innovation!

The Light Challenge 2025: Create an innovative lighting concept for the transition area between the built environment and nature. Be aware of the impact on biodiversity, make use of energy generation at microlevel from the immediate environment and give the darkness back to the night. This year’s assignment challenges new generations of students to come up with innovative concepts for lighting, together with students working in other disciplines. For example, students in astronomy, biology, industrial product design, lighting design, 3D/VR design and others.

Interested? Join and find out more about the Light Challenge!