Ravensbourne alumnus electrifies the Brit Awards

Co-founded by Ravensbourne graduate, Chris ‘BRONSKI’ Jablonski, TAWBOX are the award-winning creatives behind some of the most iconic performances in modern British music. From Glastonbury to the Brit Awards, their incredible visuals are synonymous with monumental events.

Established in 2013, TAWBOX are BAFTA nominated creative directors and masters of visual storytelling. They’re known for creating digital worlds influenced by music, culture and contemporary news. Their mesmerizing work presents a hybrid of traditional stage craft philosophy, cutting edge technology and cultural significance.

TAWBOX’s Creative Director, Chris ‘BRONSKI’ Jablonski, studied BSc (Hons) Broadcast Engineering at Ravensbourne and graduated in 2008. Alongside Amber Rimell, they have created some of the most spellbinding performances to grace British stages. Artists that they regularly work with include Stormzy, Rita Ora, Mabel and AJ Tracey. They have recently worked with Olivia Rodrigo, Arlo Parks and the MTV EMA awards.  

TAWBOX were behind Stormzy’s iconic headline show at Glastonbury in 2019. The stage required multiple levels to accommodate the huge cast, which included dancers from Ballet Black, hip-hop performers and a 44-strong gospel choir. The performance honoured Stormzy as an artist and as an individual, weaving in elements of his upbringing and trajectory.

"We wanted to take south London to the farm," said Rimell to dezeen. "The creative vision and direction for the entire performance was to honour his culture from his roots, to music, to youth and also church." The performance was a resounding success and silenced the critics who didn’t believe a Grime artist should headline the UK’s biggest festival. The Guardian said that the set was a ‘a glorious victory lap for black British culture.’ You can watch the full Glastonbury set here.

The Brits are an annual celebration of the best of British music. The 2020 Brit Awards coincided with the show’s 40th anniversary and took place against the backdrop of global Black Lives Matter demonstrations. On the night, artist ‘Dave gave what has been hailed by the music industry as one of the greatest Brits performances and the best political speech...in a decade.

TAWBOX focused on the look, feel and pace of Dave’s moment. “We designed the monochromatic staging – clean white lines and a black and white piano – to look minimal, even though it was pretty technical; we had to manipulate 3D technology to project the grid and the visuals,” BRONSKI told the Guardian, “But we wanted to keep it as simple and subtle as possible.”

The mesmerizing performance beautifully conveyed the reality of the black British experience, including timely references to the Windrush scandal, the victims of Grenfell and the treatment of Meghan Markle by the British press. The O2 arena gave Dave a standing ovation and the performance immediately began trending online. TAWBOX illuminated Dave’s powerful lyricism and ignited meaningful conversations. You can view the full performance and credits here.

TAWBOX’s signature style continues to captivate audiences around the world. Their work is a testament to how Ravensbourne graduates don’t just join the industry, they transform it. We hope to see more incredible performances crafted by TAWBOX at the Brit Awards 2022.

This year’s Brit awards take place on Tuesday 8 February 2022. Viewers in the UK will be able to watch the broadcast live from 7.00pm on ITV and ITV Hub. The red carpet will be broadcast live via the Brit Awards YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter accounts, with Munya Chawawa and Nella Rose hosting.