When Worship Becomes a Shared Moment: Live Visual Direction at Winepress 2024

By Emmanuel Daraloye

Winepress Conference 2024 unfolded as a large-scale gathering centred on praise, prayer, and spiritual renewal, hosted by Pastors Bolaji Idowu and Omowunmi Idowu at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. Over three days, the conference brought together worshippers from diverse backgrounds, creating a collective space for spiritual reflection, unity, and renewal.

Recognised as one of Nigeria’s major annual worship gatherings, Winepress 2024 attracted an estimated audience of over 500,000 participants across the three-day programme, including more than 60,000 attendees present on-site, alongside a substantial online audience engaging remotely. The scale of the gathering amplified the sense of shared devotion, as music, prayer, and moments of stillness flowed seamlessly into a unified communal experience.

More than a sequence of scheduled sessions, Winepress functioned as a moment of collective focus. Worship music, spoken prayer, and silence were carefully paced, allowing the atmosphere of expectancy and reverence to develop organically. The convergence of sound, movement, and audience participation transformed the venue into a shared expression of faith and gratitude. Within this environment, live visual direction played a deliberately supportive role. Rather than competing for attention, visuals were designed to reinforce presence and attentiveness, responding in real time to music, spoken word, and shifts in emotional tone. Screen content was shaped to enhance clarity and continuity, ensuring that technology served the worship experience rather than distracting from it.

The live visual direction for Winepress 2024 was led by Michael Able (Adetunle Sunday Michael), who served as Creative Live Visual Director for the conference. In this role, he oversaw the visual concept and real-time execution of live screen content across multiple days, directing a multi-camera live production of over twelve cameras to shape both the in-venue experience and the live broadcast feed. His leadership ensured visual continuity, clarity, and immersion for both on-site attendees and remote audiences.

Able’s creative practice is distinguished by an emphasis on restraint, emotional timing, and atmosphere over spectacle. By aligning visual pacing with sound and movement, his approach contributed to an immersive experience that encouraged focus and collective engagement. This  method reflects a broader international trend in live visual practice, where technology is increasingly used to deepen shared experience rather than dominate performance.

As the conference progressed, the integration of live visuals with sound and movement helped bridge the physical gathering in Lagos with digital audiences beyond the venue. In this way, Winepress 2024 demonstrated how large-scale live visual direction can honour sacred moments while extending their reach, using digital tools to support faith, community, and shared cultural Experience.