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”.