Event staging Archives - White Light
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  1. White Light is Borne to Dance at Royal Opera House

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    White Light recently provided the complete technical solutions for Borne to Dance – a fundraiser for the Borne Foundation which took place at the Royal Opera House.

    Borne is a medical research charity which aims to identify the causes of premature birth and develop new ways to prevent it. Borne to Dance, a signature fundraising event in Borne’s diary, took place on 19th March and was hosted by Borne Patron, Dame Darcey Bussell, and Borne Ambassador, Michael Nunn OBE.

    Borne Senior Event Producer, Michelle Menne, comments: “Borne to Dance is a magical evening of dance with performances by some of the country’s most exciting dance companies. Having drawn on WL’s services for previous events, as well as being aware of their background in theatre, we approached them to work with us on this occasion”.

    Performances on the evening included ‘Requiem’ by the Royal Ballet, ‘Le Corsaire’ by English National Ballet, ‘Us’ by BalletBoyz, ‘Swan Lake’ by Sir Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and a lively finale by Aljaž Škorjanec and Ash-Leigh Hunter.

    The event was overseen by WL’s Project Manager Phil Gladman, who comments: “We have worked with Borne previously and know the kind of special experiences they want to deliver. For Borne to Dance, we worked in the magnificent Paul Hamlyn Hall space where we supplied audio, video, lighting and projection; meaning Borne could rely solely on us to provide the entire technical solutions”.

    For the lighting, WL worked closely with Lighting Designer Andrew Ellis who was tasked with lighting the various performances. As each had a different feel and requirements, WL had to supply equipment that would work with all of these. For the audio, WL supplied a bespoke sound system that would offer complete clarity for the speeches as well as a soundscape for the live performances.

    WL also built a set, which included a 10x10m stage. Built within the set was a rear projection screen onto which footage was relayed across the evening, showcasing Borne’s important work. WL also supplied the projector for the streaming.

    The evening was a huge success for Borne, raising much-needed funds to launch PREVENT; a pioneering screening programme to identify women at risk of preterm birth.

    Michelle concludes: “This year’s Borne to Dance was a truly unforgettable occasion. It is vital that our guests have a brilliant evening which, in turn, helps us raise invaluable funds. The production support that WL supplied helped us to achieve that this year and we are extremely grateful to Phil and all the team’s hard work”.

    Photos courtesy of Annabel Moeller.

  2. White Light Celebrates Alison Brooks Architects’ 21st at Somerset House

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    Alison Brooks Architects are an architectural firm with an international reputation for design excellence in projects ranging from masterplanning to buildings for education and the arts. Last week they celebrated their 21st birthday at Somerset House in Central London. To make it an unforgettable occasion, they approached White Light to provide the complete technical solutions.

    The celebration took place on Thursday 22nd June and featured examples of Alison Brooks Architects’ renowned work on display. The day was split into two parts: an afternoon session where the public were able to attend and listen to a public talk given by Alison Brooks followed by the evening session which was a private party for clients, consultants and supporters of the practise. Steve Burnham, WL’s Project Manager, comments: “The main purpose of the event was to celebrate the work of the practice. With various examples of the company’s work being displayed within the space, we wanted the technical support to accentuate this”.

    The event took place in the Embankment Gallery of Somerset House. Steve comments: “We visited the space prior to the event and spoke with Alison Brooks Architects’ team regarding the feel of the event. It was decided that video would be a great way to showcase some of the incredible projects that the company has worked on over the past 21 years. With this in mind, projection would play a huge rule”.

    WL’s role was to provide the complete technical support, which included everything from the lighting, staging, rigging, video, audio and even the plinths on which a lot of exhibits would be displayed. Steve states: “The lighting design largely consisted of ETC Source Four Minis and ETC Mini Track. We wanted to use track lighting as this would allow us to position fixtures so that they highlighted certain pieces of work and, at the same time, remain fairly unobtrusive to the rest of the space. We also drew on Martin MAC Viper Profiles to present the Alison Brooks Architects logo as guests entered the space”.

    WL supplied the audio system which was used throughout the space. Steve adds: “Audio played a crucial role on the evening. Not only did we need to provide a soundscape which offered background noise throughout, but we also need a reliable PA system for the talks given by Alison Brooks Architects. To achieve this, we drew on our EM Acoustics EMS 81 Loudspeakers, LSP 500 Loudspeakers and Shure Wireless Mics – all of which were controlled via a QU-24 Digital Sound Desk.

    The most important technical aspect of the evening was projection, with the practice creating a video of their career highlights that they wanted to be somehow displayed within the space. WL found the perfect solution. Steve states: “To achieve maximum coverage, we drew on 13 Christie Projectors, of which we hold a fleet in stock. These allow us to achieve high quality projection yet can do so over a large canvas. The Embankment Gallery is actually perfect for projection as the interior consists of flat panels that sit within its curved architecture. What this meant is that we could project clearly the incredible past projects of Alison Brooks Architects yet do so holistically using the environment we were in”.

    The event was a huge success and allowed both the general public and invited guests to see and celebrate the work of Alison Brooks Architects.

    Ceri Edmunds, Designer at Alison Brooks Architects, comments: “This event was the absolutely perfect way to celebrate the company’s 21st birthday. To have our work on display in such a fantastic location and elevated by reliable and creative production support was exactly what we hoped for. We’d like to thank everyone at WL for such a great job and making the occasion very special”.

    Photos courtesy of Ashley Bingham.