Throughout the year, WL works with a range of schools, colleges and universities in order to provide them with the latest technical equipment and ensure that their students have access to the best facilities possible. We thought we’d look at which educational institutions we’ve worked with recently, what they’ve invested in and the immediate impact this has had.
One of the most recent universities that WL has worked with is Middlesex. WL had previously overseen an upgrade within their drama department and was asked to assist again with the upgrade of their drama studio. The university wanted to get rid of their existing tungsten fixtures and replace these with LED equivalents; a trend we are seeing become more and more common. WL worked with the university’s Senior Technician Mikkel Svak who told us what he required within the space. We then performed a range of demos on-site and even spent the day at ETC in order to help Mikkel decide which products were most suitable. He eventually invested in a mix of Chauvet battens, ETC Source 4 Lustr 2s, ColorSource Spots and ROBE ROBIN LEDBeams. This new rig not only resulted in more flexibility for their various shows but also meant that the university was fulfilling its environmental aims as well as significantly reducing the amount of heat in the reduced space.
WL has also worked closely with Mountview, following the drama school’s move to its new premises in South London. The school opened its new home in Peckham last year and with it unveiled a brand-new 200 seater auditorium. This required a range of lighting fixtures and so the school’s Senior Lighting Tutor Alex Cann contacted WL. Alex comments: “Having seen a whole range of products from various tradeshows across the country, we made a shortlist of our desired kit and approached WL to supply this; knowing of their strong relationship with leading manufacturers”. WL supplied Mountview with ETC IonXE and Gio desks, Chauvet Ovation E-910FC Profiles, F-915FC Fresnels, B-2805 and B-1965 Cyc battens, VL 2600 Profiles and GLP Impression S350s. These are not only used on the students’ shows but are also a resource to teach them about lighting technology and gain first-hand experience of industry-standard equipment.
WL also recently supplied a range of Chauvet Professional lighting fixtures to Bryanston School in Dorset. The School’s Technical and Production Manager James Henshaw explains: “At Bryanston, there are a wide range of performance spaces, with the main one being Coade Hall which is a purpose-built 600 seater theatre. With 15-20 productions a year, pupils have plenty of opportunities to perform, design and direct. Pupils interested in the technical side are able to join the stage crew to learn how to handle the equipment and design, light and costume a production. As a drama department, we have a fantastic reputation and need to ensure we live up to this – hence the upgrade to our existing lighting equipment”.
With this in mind, James contacted WL’s Key Account Manager Ally DeCourcy who helped source the fixtures he required. These included: 12 x Chauvet Maverick MK2 Washes, 18 x MK2 Profiles, 20 x Colorado 72 Battens, 8 x Ovation E910-FCs, 15 x Colorado2 Quad Zooms and 10 x Synapse 4s. James adds: “We are extremely happy with the fixtures we’ve purchased and the immediate impact they’ve made; both in terms of our environmental and budgetary requirements along with the experience for our pupils”.
It’s not just schools and colleges that are making necessary upgrades but also theatres and concert halls. WL recently worked closely with Storyhouse, an award-winning venue based in Chester, to oversee an investment in the SolaFrame 1000 luminaries from High End Systems as the latest addition to the venue’s LED inventory as part of a tungsten replacement programme. At the iconic Royal Albert Hall, WL supplied the venue with a range of Martin MAC Encore fixtures in a continuation of the phased upgrade of their in-house lighting rig. Similarly, the Highbury Theatre Centre in Sutton Coldfield recently upgraded their entire lighting set-up with a range of ETC fixtures, wanting to ensure that their amateur dramatic productions appear as professional as possible.
WL’s Key Account Manager Antony Vine comments: “As a company, we relish working with educational institutions, theatres and any venue to see how we can help elevate their existing technical offering. We’re in the fortunate position of being able to have the resources to conduct on-site demonstrations, visit manufacturers as well as have immediate access to a plethora of technology that can fulfil almost any requirement. We’d encourage anyone wanting to upgrade their existing equipment to get in touch and speak to one of our expert team who will be able to offer a solution bespoke to you”.
Photos courtesy of Mark McNulty and Robert Workman.