How many creatives does it take to change a lightbulb?

One autumn night in 2015 after a few of us had set up a hit and run cinema on the back of a warehouse in Queenstown, I got a tap on the shoulder from a stranger called Luke. He casually asked if I was interested in helping him out with a light festival he was organising. I just said yes. I usually say yes and ask questions later so this was a pretty short conversation. At the time I thought there was something already underway and Luke might need a hand with some marketing or design work. When I suggested we get together with the rest of the team, I found out that we were it - except for a couple of other faces who he’d hit up with a similar proposal.

That’s when we first sat down at Fluid as a team; Luke Baldock, Dan Green, Simon Holden and myself (Tim Buckley), the ‘first ones on the bus’ as Luke likes to describe it. 

So. There we were, a small group of instigators each with a little piece to offer and a history of event planning, makeshift dance parties, carnivals and productions. No strangers to operating in the dark or making something memorable out of just an idea and well aware that this was likely going to be a labour of love rather than a get rich quick scheme. 

We all had pretty much the same vision of what this thing should be (and what it would definitely not be). We would need to set up a trust, build a management company and write a serious plan to raise funds, attract partners and turn this concept into something real. 

SILO was formed to manage the production side of what this thing was to become. We’d also need a name for the event, so we set up some old-school brainstorming sessions and tested a few options before landing on 'LUMA' as a short, robust brand name which was just abstract enough to be dangerous. We all took part in some fast paced creative sprints and came up with an identity and supporting brand ethos which has endured and continues to evolve to this day.