The venue recently decided to update its lighting rig; not only to install the latest technology but to also remain as environmentally friendly as possible. They approached White Light who supplied them with a range of the ETC Source Four LED Series 2 Lustrs for their Minerva Studio space.
WL has a long relationship with Chichester Festival Theatre. Not only does the technical solution specialist annually supply the lighting for the Chichester Festival but also supported their Children on the Edge fundraiser last year.
Sam Garner-Gibbons is the venue's technical coordinator. He comments, "We have wanted to make alterations to our house rig in the Minerva for a while now. As a venue, we are consciously trying to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Therefore, we were keen to drive down our CO2 emissions and get rid of our exiting 1kw tungsten lamps."
After contacting WL and relaying their requirements, WL's business development manager Antony Vine visited Chichester Festival and demonstrated a range of equipment.
Sam states, "It was great for Antony to come down and showcase in our space what we could potentially use in-house. He worked closely with myself and Tim Mitchell, our associate lighting designer, to ensure we tested a range of equipment. That said, it soon became clear for the flexibility and quality we wanted, along with fulfilling our environmental aims, that the ETC Source Four LED Series2 Lustr was the right unit for us."
Antony comments, "The Source Four LED Series 2 Lustr was the right fixture for Chichester. The deeper, richer colour from the unit worked perfectly within that space, enriching the sets and ensuring that the audience receives the best experience possible."
The lights were also ideal for the theatre's desire to reduce its CO2 emissions. Sam adds: "Since installing the Lustrs and replacing both the PC area cover and the par can scrollers that we previously had, we have managed to save 51,000 watts of energy across our entire rig."
The new lights have already been used on three productions including Travels with My Aunt, which was lit by Tim.
Sam comments, "The lights have been performing brilliantly. Whether it's a production such as Travels with My Aunt which features quite colourful lighting effects to something such as FRACKED! which is a more traditional muted colour pallette, the kit has proved its versatility. What we ultimately wanted was state-of-the-art equipment that would save energy but give our lighting designers the creative freedom they required. Thanks to WL, this is exactly what we've been able to achieve."
(Jim Evans)
