Job Description
Wiltshire Music Centre
Lighting upgrade wins green funding award.
Enlightened was delighted to be approached by Wiltshire Music Centre to recommend and install an upgraded energy efficient lighting system that would allow productions more versatility in lighting design whilst also providing intuitive control with a clean and simple interface.
A key requirement was that the lighting specified could provide an even coverage of the stage area, (particularly when lighting orchestra ensembles), whilst also incorporating greater flexibility into the lighting rig, allowing atmospheric key lighting of individual performers and dramatic narrative lighting where desired to better facilitate the diverse range of performances their venue hosts.
During the consultation process, the team from Wiltshire Music Centre were keen to pursue the capabilities of the latest in stage LED technology with a view to hugely reducing the carbon footprint of the centre with the added benefit of slashing their running costs to a fraction of that currently incurred. This cost efficiency makes switching to an all LED lighting infrastructure an attractive long term investment and eminently affordable, typically paying for itself in under 5 years. It’s low carbon footprint also means that vital and vibrant small community venues like the Wiltshire Music Centre can apply for funding from green charitable initiatives such as the M&S Energy Fund, who provided them much needed help toward their funding goal, due to the projects commitment to massively reducing its energy consumption and gaining a low, ‘A’ rated energy efficiency rating.
Budget was critical in this project, the challenge was to create a beautiful and flexible lighting system that would serve all the requirements of the client, yet still meet their budget demands. We explored several options with the client, and eventually developed a specification that consummately fulfilled their needs and lay within their budgetary expectations.
We narrowed the recommended fixtures down to a shortlist that we felt would perfectly fulfil their requirements, these included ETC’s ColorSource and Selador range. Both offer excellent colour rendition and beautiful colour reproduction. The unanimous final choice though was the brilliant ETC ColorSource Spot. The balance of excellent value for money and exquisite colour reproduction making it the perfect fixture for the venue.
In addition to a new fleet of lighting fixtures, the lighting control infrastructure also needed attention to work with the new LED luminaires. The lighting control system had to be simple enough to be operated by ushers, cleaners and other non-technical staff, but powerful enough to deliver on the complex requirements of bigger shows. Another ETC product the Unison Echo control system was the ideal choice allowing simple intuitive programming of lighting scenes that can be easily selected by non-technical staff whilst affording technical crew full creative control effortlessly programmed from the dedicated tablet app giving them the advantage of being able to programme and adjust lighting states from anywhere in the performance space.
To make better use of the fixtures and facilitate more even stage coverage we recommended and installed an advance bar in the venue to help with front lighting.
As the world of technical theatre moves towards LED lighting, it is becoming more popular to install entirely non-dim control infrastructures within theatre and performance venues. Wiltshire Music Centre has taken the initiative to move to a control infrastructure entirely free of any dimmers, opting instead for portable single channel dimmers in positions where conventional luminaires are to be used.
As with all installation projects undertaken by Enlightened, sustainability, future-proofing and quality of our workmanship was paramount. We are proud to support our venues beyond the point of installation, fostering an ongoing relationship to support the venue as they take their next steps.
The specification:
- GDS ArcSystem Pro 4 Cell Square Fittings for general cover of the stage
- Chauvet Rogue R2X Spots for quick and easy spots on stage
- Chauvet Rogue R2 Wash for coloured area washes on stage
- Chauvet Colorado 2 Quad Zoom for coloured area washes on stage
- ETC ColorSource Spots for beautiful, high efficiency, low energy key light
- American DJ LED Par Warm White for a cost-effective front wash
- Philips Strand Dim1 single channel dimmers for local dimming of conventional tungsten fixtures where required
- ETC Unison Echo control system for simple and powerful control of the lighting system by the ushers and other non-technical staff
- Chamsys PC Wing control system for use by house technical staff and visiting technicians
- Swisson DMX distribution
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