The new school building was commissioned by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) because, in direct contrast to the high standard of teaching, the school buildings were in poor shape - described by officials as being in the worst condition in the city.
However, no provision had been included for sound and lighting systems in the multi-functional assembly hall or drama studio. With the budget already stretched and sensing this was a real opportunity to create the hall as a spectacular performance space, the school's former head teacher came out of retirement to project-manage the rebuild for the school.
Having sourced quotations and designs from other companies, the school governors awarded the contract to School Stage, who had impressed as the most informative and realistic company. School Stage scrutinised the proposals and made sweeping changes to the building's internal design to ensure the best possible end result.
The assembly hall now features an impressive lighting rig, with a stage area boasting 12 Chauvet Professional COLORdash Par-Hex 12 fixtures, four Chauvet Professional Q-Wash 419Z-LED moving heads, and four powerful 240W LED Chauvet Professional Rogue R2 Spot units for authentic award ceremony presentations or school band concerts. Eight COLORado Batten 72 Tour wash lights are positioned across the back wall lighting cyclorama.
School Stage company director, Chris Newton commented, "The Rogue R2 units are robust in design and just the brightness I was looking for. The hall roof is very high and the R2s have the power necessary to provide real punch."
The lighting system is controlled via an ETC Ion lighting console, which can be operated via an iPad. Separately, the lighting can operate via the main Crestron control system that is the brains behind the operation of the halls complete AV inventory; operated also via iPad, as well as by a wall-mounted and portable touch screen. Into these control interfaces, School Stage programmed various preset lighting schemes to enable simple operation of the lights and presentation systems in the hall.
(Jim Evans)
