Heaven, Charing Cross
National Student Pride set design 2021
Design + Build
This year the festival took place online due to Covid restrictions. The panel debates and conversations were filmed over three days in a Covid secure environment at Heaven nightclub, set against the dramatic brick arches beneath Charing Cross station. Guests included Joanna Lumley, Stephen Fry, Nick Grimshaw, Lorraine Kelly, Jessie Ware and YungBlud.
The stage consisted of a series of boards with vivid colours and striking geometric patterns. Rounded profiles, a staggered arrangement and a colour palette of pinks, oranges and purples all combine to give the set a warm light-hearted playfulness. Recyclable event carpet was laid diagonally across the stage to pick up the colours of the set.
The patterns were printed onto 6mm, plastic free, eco board, which was constructed from 1mm card sandwiching a cardboard honeycomb lattice. The finished 2.4 x 1.2m boards were CNC cut into the finished shapes. Timber battens were attached to the back of the shapes and screwed into the stage floor.
The lightweight nature and quick installation gave the flexibility for the panels to be moved and re-set for different stage requirements at the multi-faceted event. The construction was kept as simple as possible to ensure it could be assembled quickly by National Student Pride volunteers with no building experience.
The stage provided the background for panel discussions on Mental Health, Trans Love, Black Lives Matter (in association with UK Black Pride) and Women, as well as one-on-one interviews. Nick Grimshaw and Aimee Phillips hosted ‘This Evening’, a magazine style show with different segments and guests including Jessie and Lennie Ware being beamed into the set, a pole dancing segment, the weather utilising green screens and a competition with the absolutely Fabulous Joanna Lumley.
The stage was reset for ‘Cheers Queers’, hosted by Lorraine Kelly. ‘The Queen Loz’ was built on stage answering the brief of ‘a camp gay bar’ complete with sparkling wallpaper, a foil curtain doorway and a traditional wooden bar.
The lightweight, fully recyclable card was chosen for its inexpensive price, ease of construction, transportation and assembly. Local printing and CNC cutting allowed the manufacturing process to happen quickly and with minimal transportation between sites. The total project cost was under £2,000.
National Student Pride is sponsored by: EY, Clifford Chance, Enterprise, Santander, Creative Assembly, Lloyds Banking Group and Clyde & Co
Photography - Aaron Hargreaves