Community Spotlight: Liam Daly

From theatre to global exhibitions, Technical Designer Liam Daly has built an impressive portfolio across live entertainment and immersive experiences. Based at design studio, 59 Studio, Liam shares his journey through the industry, from his earliest encounters with tech to programming shows like Stranger Things: The First Shadow and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Pavilion at Expo 2025.

A classic beginning with a technical twist

Liam’s journey into the industry started in a familiar way: high school curiosity turned into full-blown passion. “I was always into tech; video, lighting, all of it,” he shares. That spark led him to join Croydon Youth Theatre Organisation, where he gravitated toward the technical side, especially lighting.

Eventually, that path took him to Rose Bruford College, where he studied Creative Lighting Control. “It’s a very specific course focused on programming and spec’ing lighting systems. But about halfway through, I shifted toward video programming.”

Liam graduated in 2020, unfortunate timing for the live events world, but made the most of it by freelancing in livestreamed theatre, filming, and editing. Soon after, he landed a casual video technician role at the Royal Opera House, which paved the way to his current role at 59 Studio.

From Video Programmer to Technical Designer

Liam joined 59 Studio over three years ago as a Video Programmer, but now operates as a Technical Designer. “A lot of what I do now involves planning the programming, specifying devices, building workflows, and overseeing execution. I still get hands-on but I’m more often building the structure for our freelance programmers to work within.”

Since joining 59, Liam has worked across theatre, live performance, and exhibitions. “The scope of projects has broadened massively… it’s so exciting to jump between immersive installations and complex theatrical shows.”

Notable projects: Hockney, Hawkins, and Expo 2025

One of Liam’s most memorable projects is the David Hockney exhibition at Lightroom, where he served as lead programmer. “It was a privilege to work so closely with Hockney. He was really hands-on. He even had a scale model box to review show edits from Normandy.”

Another standout is Stranger Things: The First Shadow in London’s West End. “It was a technically dense show; layers of projection, heavy automation data, custom flicker effects, and live adjustments from lighting.” Liam led the technical programming, handling everything from shutter control to LED pixel tape management and automation integration.

For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Pavilion at Expo 2025, Liam’s team was responsible for three key spaces: two cultural studios and a 360° projection-mapped courtyard. “In the two cultural studios, our focus was on programming systems that could seamlessly shift between exhibition and live performance modes,” mentioned Liam. “The courtyard was a different challenge: we programmed the ‘Evolving Nightly Show,’ a large-scale production designed as a live experience rather than an exhibition. Across all three spaces, everything had to be pre-programmed for reliability, yet remain flexible enough to accommodate live updates.”

Using Disguise’s multi-track and multi-transport features, his team enabled room states to shift dynamically. “It was all about modularity and robust performance. Disguise’s VX 3 servers gave us that stability.”

Getting started with Disguise

Liam’s first interaction with Disguise was during university. “Our college had just gotten a GX 3 server, and we had Designer Essentials training delivered by Jamie Sunter.”

That early access led Liam to experiment constantly. “We didn’t have many shows using video at the time, so I just spent time poking around, testing, and figuring out how it all worked. It quickly became my go-to tool.”

He even spent a summer interning in Disguise’s QA department, a month that gave him deeper insight into the software and its inner workings.

Favourite Disguise features

“The moment I started using expressions in Designer, it changed the way I approached problem-solving,” says Liam. “They let you build logic into timelines; calculate flickers, manipulate automation data, and create reactive effects. It’s advanced, but incredibly powerful.”

He also credits collaborative editing as a cornerstone of his workflow. “I don’t think I’ve done a show at 59 that had only one person working on it at a time. Collaboration in Disguise is vital.”

Mapping Matter is another essential tool for Liam’s team. “If there’s a projector in a project, there’s a Mapping Matter study behind it,” he laughs. “We use it for projection studies, resolution planning, and tech packs. It handles high-detail models effortlessly.”

Proud moments in the industry

Liam’s proudest moments come from seeing projects open to the public. “Watching audiences react; that’s everything. Especially after weeks of intense programming and planning. Whether it was Lightroom, First Shadow, or the KSA Pavilion - seeing them completed and working as intended is the most rewarding feeling.”

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out?

“Spend time experimenting. Pick a tool, solve a problem, tinker. Learn from others, watch how they approach things. This industry thrives on people and shared knowledge.”

Looking ahead

With 59 Studio recently joining together with three other studios to found Journey, a global design and innovation agency focused on shaping multi-dimensional experiences (MDX), Liam sees exciting opportunities ahead. “There’s room to try new things, explore new markets. I’m excited to keep doing what I love, just on a bigger scale.”

About 59 Studio

59, a Journey studio, conceives, directs, designs and delivers ambitious, large-scale story-driven artworks, stage shows, events and immersive experiences.