In a world where events reign supreme, a collaboration between one of WA's best Lighting Designers, Sound Engineers and Event Production Crews is making its mark in the world famous Margaret River Wine Region.
SOUTHERN LIGHT EVENTS is the culmination of a lifetime of audiovisual and theatrical excellence; a team of Industry Pro's whose 'soul purpose' is to take the art of designing, styling and staging corporate events, weddings, music concerts, festivals, art exhibitions, indoor and outdoor venues and quirky event spaces to a breathtaking new level!
WE CAN HELP WITH ALL YOUR EVENT LIGHTING, AV AND SOUND REQUIREMENTS!
Jane Ashton, the daughter of theatre production pioneer, David Ashton, together with the ‘Ashton Clan’ is the driving force and creative minds behind Southern Light Events. Jane, who grew up ‘behind’ the spotlight, was always destined for the event world; having been mentored in event lighting, staging and production from an early age by her father ~ a quiet achiever in the industry and founder of Ashton Stage Lighting, Safe Sets, and All Things Theatre.
After years of shadowing her father, Jane, also an avid photographer, saw an opportunity to share her love of lighting up the night with the weddings and special events market in WA’s South West. She was ready to make her own prolific mark.
Fast forward to 2015; under the guidance and support of her father, David, and her uncle Ian Ashton and brother Sean Ashton, Jane established Southern Light Events, which has quickly become a trusted supplier of special event lighting and styling, and event staging, production and photographic services in the area.
Perth and South West schools, educational venues, police stations and courts of law have also benefited from the Building Management and Works (BMW) Contractor status held by Southern Light Events (previously All Things Theatre Pty Ltd) since 2003; providing breakdown repairs and maintenance in AV, lighting and PA systems, and also providing a consultation service for performance space venue design, refits and reforms.
Jane’s passion for transforming bland spaces into magical wonderlands saw an expansion of her range of ready-made curtains and draping, to include a bespoke, custom-made curtain manufacturing service – it was an instant hit with orders coming from all over Australia and abroad. Jane was bang on the mark with what the market wanted.
With a growing foothold on the exhibitions, concerts, festivals, and weddings and events markets, it wasn’t long before Jane saw the opportunity to collaborate with a complementing and equally in-demand service – audio/sound.
Enter John ‘SOUNDY’ Strickland, one of WA’S most innovative and passionate sound engineers; a music production master who had been bringing awesome sound and audio expertise to WA’s event capital for nearly two decades.
Southern Light Events AND Soundy; it was a marriage made in heaven, an event collaboration built for the times. With the combined power of an in-house audio department, Southern Light Events now offered a full event production, event styling, and event management service.
In October 2016, Team Ashton took up residence in SOUNDY’S newly acquired premises in Cowaramup’s light industrial area with a shared vision to create the South West’s most advanced and all-inclusive lighting and sound recording studio.
With work currently underway on a massive event lighting and sound retail showroom and service and repairs centre, and including band rehearsal space, photography studio, and professional recording studio, PLUS a super funky venue for music and singing lessons, event production workshops, forums; the Busselton Margaret River Wine Region is finally set to have its own world class music and event production studio.
Jane’s first show as a lighting technician was in 1992, recording over 20 scenes for an audience of thousands, she was just 13 years old. In 2002, Jane went to TAFE for two years to study Clothing Production, giving her the sewing skills she would later draw on to manufacture theatre drapes. Four years later she followed her other passion, photography, and after a year of training was shooting 20 weddings per year. In 2006, Jane re-joined her family business, ‘All Things Theatre’ alongside her father, brother and uncle assisting with the huge workload in manufacturing drapes and easing the backlog of breakdown repairs for their government contract for maintenance in Perth schools. In 1998, Jane completed a traineeship in Small Business and in 2010, completed her certification as an Electrical Tester & Tagger (License No: A1TT1499), before taking on the business as Partner / Managing Director. In 2012, Jane relocated to WA’s South West, sold ‘All Things Theatre’, and started a new business ‘Southern Light Events’. In early 2017 Jane’s skills were boosted with the successful completion of her ‘laser safety licence’ allowing her to now also programme custom laser shows. With the Ashton’s all still very much involved, Southern Light Events has a solid team of electricians, sound technicians, engineers and computer nerds to support its massive client base. During the past 10 years Jane has worked over 100 weddings and learned to look for new and unique approaches to every job. Driven by a desire to exceed every customers’ expectations, Jane only works with the best event suppliers and who share the same goals in excellence. Jane also shares her Father’s tendency towards brutal honesty, meaning Southern Light Events will never supply anything a client doesn’t need just to make an extra dollar PLUS they’ll always offer alternate solutions for clients restricted by budget. Jane’s commitment to excellence is based on a genuine belief that Southern Light Events not only has the best products and best service in the market, but also a truly unique vision for creating ‘magic’ through light, sound and production.
Formally trained as a technician with English Electric, David Ashton first established a disco business in UK in the late 1960’s. On arrival to Australia in 1972, David became head technician and later lighting contractor to the then, ‘Her Majesty’s Theatre’ in Perth, Western Australia. Ashton Stage Lighting, considered the leading lighting company in Perth and producing for example all the WAY79 event lighting, was founded by David in 1980. Following the closure of ‘Her Majesty’s’, David formed a company with John Thornton and Stan Bird to turn the ‘Regal Theatre’ (Subiaco) into a live venue, which is still very successful and has seen thousands of plays and concerts over the years. Local millionaire, Lyndon Lewis was renowned for his extravagant parties, which were planned and managed by David in the 1980’s and regularly made news headlines with spectacular party events including ‘Titanic’ and ‘Gone with the Wind’ themes, and pyrotechnics surprising guests with hoax explosions! A sinking ship off the Fremantle dock, burning shacks, paid actors hiding amongst guests, and live horse battles. David was also a founding member of ‘Country Arts’, ‘Effie Crump Theatre’, ‘Bridge Theatre’, head technician at ‘Perth Concert Hall’ (opening months), ‘Playhouse’ and too many others to list. David steered the ultimately successful campaign to change WA’s voltage to 240 volts following a fierce campaign with the S.E.C. When Perth Entertainment Centre closed, David was engaged by Rocky (the former manager) to strip the venue, securing several truckloads of PEC gear, including the rigging, drapes, lights and PA system, which Southern Light Events still have available as hire stock. In 2003, David was approached by the Government’s Department of Finance, inviting him to use his specialist skills to carry out repairs and maintenance for Perth schools; a prestigious contract that remains in place today (under the new department ‘Building Management & Works’). Between 1998 and 2010 David founded further successful businesses, including ‘Safe Sets’, ‘All Things Theatre’ and then in 2015, helped establish ‘Southern Light Events’, which is managed by his daughter, Jane Ashton, in the Busselton Margaret River Wine Region. Today David is trading as D.A.S.S. Audio specialising in fixing a huge backlog of public address system issues in Perth schools
Johny ‘Soundy’ Strickland’s work within the entertainment field is extensive, having played in bands and also behind the desk mixing rock, world and jazz bands, whilst also working among a few local recording studios in the 1980’s and 1990’s. His team worked hundreds of contrasting events at the Perth Entertainment Centre, UWA and other renowned entertainment venues, touring and specialising in sound, lighting and production. Johny left London Studios in 1998 and took on Waves Studio in Injidup as caretaker, in-house producer and audio engineer for many years where he managed live events at Waves and Wardan Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Johny’s knowledge of and experience working with entertainment venues and events in WA’s south west spans 20 years and in which time he has secured a solid flow of work for his PA, sound tech and stage management services, including regular gigs with Margaret River Wine Region venues such as Clancy’s, The Pour House, Firestation, Cape Mentelle, Vasse Felix, Arts Margaret River, AMR Shire, as well as other council and community events. Collectively Johnny’s expertise has been called on by more than 60 local venues, churches and schools. With big plans for the future, Johny purchased a commercial property in Cowaramup bin 2016, and registered business names Southern Sound Productions, and Global Music & Audio Workshop.
SOUTHERN LIGHT EVENTS - YOUR LOCAL SOUTH WEST EVENT PRODUCTION CREW
We have awesome event knowledge and experience, but more important is our unyielding creative passion ~ at Southern Light Events IMAGINATION IS EVERYTHING. If you’ve ever attended one of those boring and formulaic events the rest of the world puts on, you’ll know why we’re so passionate about creating new and exciting ways to present events and showcase venues. Small sparks of imagination can light up the entire sky…
Our number one priority is making sure your event makes a lasting impression. That’s why we’re committed to supplying the best products and services at a competitive price, and better still, we promise to NEVER oversell any equipment you don’t need. With such a huge inventory of Event Lighting, AV, and Staging Products in stock, we can negotiate the best bulk purchase prices, meaning we can pass our savings onto you!
Why are we trusted by so many of the south west’s most popular wedding and event venues, including The Beer Farm, Vasse Felix, Dunsborough Theatre, Clancy’s Fish Pub, Windance and Woodlands Wineries and more? Because we offer high quality cost effective solutions for in-house display and event production and we provide 24-hour scheduling of fit up and removal for all goods to fit in with you. PLUS all our products come with a GUARANTEE and there’s plenty of back up stock.
Our crew is trained, licensed and experienced in Testing and Tagging of Theatre Lights. We’re a CERTIFIED BUILDING MANAGEMENT AND WORKS (BMW) CONTRACTOR meaning we’re authorized by the Government’s Department of Finance to carry out Repairs and Maintenance throughout Performing Arts departments and Educational Centres in the South West. We have National Police Clearances, Working with Children Checks, and Public Liability Insurance for total peace of mind.
As well as Hiring and Selling the latest event equipment, we provide fast, affordable and reliable Installation, Maintenance and Repair Services! Our AV technicians and sound engineers are highly experienced and able to help with some or all technical needs; from Concept, Design and Installation, to Event Day Operation and Staff Training to Maintenance and Emergency Repairs – ON CALL 24/7.
We know WA’s South West like the back of our hands. We live where we work and have staged events, lit up the sky and made beautiful music in every location possible ~ from Busselton’s Foreshore and Smiths Beach to Margaret River Caves and Forests, South West Craft Breweries and Wineries, Sporting Ovals and Schools, Wedding Venues, Churches, Farm Sheds, Art Galleries, and Private Homes.
PROFESSIONAL EVENT AND MUSIC PRODUCTION FACILITIES IN THE SOUTH WEST
SOUTH WEST TOP CRAFT BREWERIES & WINERIES
Clancy’s Fish Pub, The Beer Farm, The Fire Station Specialty Beer & Wine Busselton, The Pour House Craft Beer Dunsobourgh, Vasse Felix Winery, Cape Mentelle Vineyards, Windance Estate, Woodlands Wines and more…
SOUTH WEST SCHOOLS & PERFORMING ARTS CENTRES
Our Lady of the Cape, Wavehouse Studio Injidup, Wild Capers – Dunsborough Theatre Group, Warden Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Cornerstone Christian College, Busselton Senior High School and more…
SOUTH WEST EVENT INDUSTRY LEADERS & SUPPLIERS
Arts Margaret River, Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, Bling Event Studio, Juice Stretch Events and more…