Jon Whitehead
Drawn To The Light
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Jon Whitehead (he/him) is an emerging technician and creative specialising in lighting, with experience spanning design, programming and electrics. Having been involved with live performance from a young age, Jon brings a deep enthusiasm for the collaborative nature of theatre and thrives on creating innovative technical solutions that enhance storytelling.
Throughout his studies in QUT’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Production) he has gained practical experience across set, props and lighting. Alongside study, Jon has embraced a variety of technical roles in work with both commercial and independent companies including stage management and lighting design for Making A Scene Productions, production technician and operator for Dramaturg: Nic Mohr, technical assistant for Dead Puppet Society, lighting secondment with Brisbane Powerhouse, venue technician at Arcana and LX technician for Steven May Productions.
With a particular passion for accessibility, Jon has navigated the live performance industry as a migraineur, and strives to develop more accessible lighting design practices, especially outside of traditional theatre. Jon plans to continue to broaden his expertise and pursue a career as a versatile technician, designer and advocate.
Drawn To The Light
The lighting designer sculpts with ethereality as much as form. Their moth is not merely an object but a suspended question: What draws us towards transformation?
Playing on the colloquial adage “like a moth to the flame”, this work explores the intersection of desire and danger, emblemising Jon’s experience as a migraineur in technical production. For the artist, light is not just a medium, but a personal battleground; a lifetime of competing against the migraine trigger that underpins their craft yet threatens to unravel it. The future bears research into how close he can get to the light, craving a flame that doesn’t need to be extinguished before he has the chance to thrive.
In interacting with the sculpture, releasing the moth from its chrysalis and revealing a kaleidoscope of illumination, Jon invites the audience to experience the attraction of light, and reflect on their own conquests in pursuit of creativity. The physical manipulation of the creature emblemising the hidden effort if it takes every artist to reach mastery.
Drawn to the Light is a reflection of the risks we take for what we love, in life and in career. It is a mirror of an artist’s evolution - the transformation of knowledge, support and identity.
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