YouthLink Police Interpretive Centre was completed for the Calgary Police Service in 2015. GMLD was brought in to detail the lighting for this exciting interactive exhibit by longtime clients and colleagues Reich and Petch.
Overview from the Reich & Petch website: The Calgary Police Service created the exhibit to share preventative messages with youth ages 10-14, reaching children at an age where poor choices can shape their futures. The museum celebrates and demystifies the police force, to build trust and creative a positive connection between police and the community. The challenge for this project was to deliver the range of messages in a way that was compelling and authentic for an audience who don’t usually tune in.
Completed in 2015, the centre has been considered a great success by the Calgary Police. More than 20,000 people visit each year, including other national and international police forces that tour the facility considering how to implement something similar at home.
Many of the exhibits are bold and brash, helping appeal to the younger audience with action and drama. Specialized lighting supports this, including use of theatrical lighting equipment to highlight actual police vehicles and mannequins with key and fill lighting. Lasers and blacklight are used to help tell a dramatic story in the Forensics lab. Lighting is integrated into many of the wall panels, lending a quiet drama to the messaging. Dynamic coloured lighting is employed in some locations to support the narrative. In the quieter exhibit spaces, where things like bullying, drugs, healthy relationships and online safety are discussed, human-scaled decorative lighting lends a comfortable, homey ambiance, encouraging thoughtful interaction.
The YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre is powerful and impactful, playing a major role in the lives of Calgary’s youth. YouthLink is an innovative police museum with a mission to change lives.
Gabriel Mackinnon is a specialist in theatrical and exhibit lighting – contact us today about how we can elevate your exhibit with lighting.