(Global) – The Silhouette Awards celebrated its fifth anniversary with an in-person event at BDP in London, bringing together more than 85 lighting professionals alongside a wider international network of speakers, mentors and mentees.

Founded in 2021 by Eve Gaut and Katia Kolovea, the Silhouette Awards were established to address a gap in the lighting sector by focusing on people rather than completed projects. The programme operates as a global mentorship platform, connecting emerging lighting designers with experienced practitioners. To date, it has facilitated around 100 mentor–mentee pairings across 42 countries.

The anniversary event combined a conference and a networking reception. The conference programme featured keynote presentations, mentor–mentee discussions and contributions from across the Silhouette community, followed by an evening reception for informal networking.

A central element of the programme was the “Global Voices” segment, which included recorded reflections from lighting professionals in regions including India, the UAE, Hong Kong, Australia, Greece, Costa Rica, Bangladesh, the United States and Russia. Contributors shared perspectives on career development and industry challenges, emphasising common themes across international contexts.

Speakers drawn from the Silhouette network included Michael Grubb, Melissa Toasa, Sacha Abizadeh, Tiago Winer, Fabiana Nery Pardhanani, Gary Thornton, Marci Song, Xueqi Du, Maria Laura Polselli, Tiziana Regalado, Andra Munro and Kristina Allison. Presentations focused on mentorship, professional growth and career experiences within lighting design.

The event also highlighted the broader impact of mentorship within the programme, with participants discussing how relationships formed through the initiative extend beyond structured sessions. The evening reception included informal discussions, alongside entertainment and networking activities.

Eve Gaut, co-founder of the Silhouette Awards, said the anniversary reflects the strength of the community built around the initiative, while Katia Kolovea noted the importance of fostering international connections within the lighting industry.

The organisers confirmed that applications for the next cohort will open in mid-September 2026 for mentees, with the mentor application process already underway. The programme is open to emerging designers with up to eight years’ experience and mentors with more than 15 years in the field.