For the Wellington FanZone during the Rugby World Cup 2011, Inside Out Productions in collaboration Electric Canvas lit up Wellington’s waterfront buildings for a two week period commissioned by Wellington City Council. Five iconic buildings were transformed combining spectacular site-specific imagery and state-of-the-art technology.

This outdoor free show called Illuma ran every night for 17 nights on a 7 minute loop and was revered as a highlight for the Rugby World Cup 2011.

2011 saw the Rugby World Cup come to New Zealand. Inside Out Productions were commissioned to organise the city wide event for the Auckland Opening of the Rugby World Cup.

This collaborative event was of a huge scale with over 100 performers, an original score and the largest fireworks and lighting show ever seen in New Zealand.

Fireworks are erupting above the city. Tugboats are dancing in the harbour. Men are seemingly leaping down tall buildings in a single bound. A pipe band is playing on the museum steps. A Maori warrior is spinning a bullroarer atop a silo on the other side of the city. A gospel choir is singing it from the rooftops.

This — All Lit Up, the wildly ambitious musical and fireworks finale to last night’s RWC opening ceremony — is something you could only take all in via the multi-camera magic of television.

And like the Eden Park wonder of visuals and choreography a few minutes earlier, it is quite breathtaking …

New Zealand Herald

5:30 AM Saturday Sep 10, 2011

Russell Baillie

In 1996 Auckland’s Watershed Theatre and Inside Outs creative home closed to make room for the Americas Cup.

In 2006 Inside Out were involved with the collaboration of artists to fund the build of a new project. Q theatre was going to to be a theatre built by artists, for artist.

2011 saw the launch of this dream as a theatre with two flexi-form performance spaces. This new theatre to house the young up and coming theatre companies and nurture creativity in Auckland. Inside Out collaborated with a plethora of artists to show the audience how far the building had come and how much possibility lay before them.

In August 2010, the giant Rugby ball venue was once again inflated, this time on Sydney Harbour.  This was the Ball’s fourth and final publicity tour before next year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Over 26,000 people visited the site during the 10 days the ball sat on Circular Quay, between the city’s most famous landmarks (the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge), including a record 3,834 attendees on its final day.

“I can honestly say this is absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s only once you get inside and see how big it is that it makes you realise how important the Rugby World Cup is for New Zealand in 2011.”

Where will it land next? Watch this space…

Photos c/o Tourism New Zealand