A.C. Lighting Provides Drama Studio Technical Facilities for East Berkshire College

23rd February 2005

A.C. Lighting's Special Projects division have supplied and installed full technical facilities for East Berkshire College's Langley campus Drama Studio as part of an on-going refurbishment programme.

East Berkshire College is one of the largest Further Education establishments in the South East, providing courses for approximately 16,000 full and part time students. The College is currently part way through a £30 million redevelopment programme which includes the refurbishment of its largest campus in Langley.

For the past three years the College had coped with using an outdated studio on the Langley campus to teach its wide range of performing arts, dance and music courses, but recently received funding to completely overhaul the facilities into a modern teaching and performance space. Courses taught range from level 1 right through to pre-degree level and have seen past students go on to prestigious dance and drama schools like the Central School of Speech & Drama and the Laban School of Dance.

A.C. Lighting's Special Projects division were approached by Andy Stone of Project Consultants, Drama by Design, to tender for the supply and installation of stage lighting, sound and communications and other staging equipment. A.C. was invited to tender due to their specialist knowledge of theatrical entertainment facilities and proven track record of installing technical facilities for numerous Colleges and Universities.

Following the successful tender, A.C. Project Manager Ceri Barraclough worked with Drama by Design and made several site visits to tailor the equipment to the final budget and specification. With only two weeks to install the studio's electrical systems infrastructure and technical facilities, A.C. rose to the challenge, supplying and installing the IT network and mains distribution system for main contractors ACS Construction, as well as the facilities equipment.

During the third and final week A.C. did the final terminations, which included refurbishing the College's old lighting stock and hanging these along with the new fixtures. A.C. also provided the College staff with full training on the operation and maintenance of the installed systems.

The lighting system consists of 36 ways of Paradim dimming, Compulite Dlite 36/72 lighting console, fully fixed overhead lighting grid, and Selecon luminaires including Pacific Zoom 12-28 degrees and Acclaim fresnels.

The audio system consists of a portable flight-cased sound rack including Soundcraft Spirit Folio FX8 mixer and Crown amplifiers, Turbosound TXD-151 passive 2-way loudspeakers, Shure handheld mics and Sennheiser mic stands, microphone cables and a Hard of Hearing induction loop system to conform with the Disability Discrimination Act Part III - Access to Goods and Services which came into force last year. Other equipment supplied included a perimeter curtain track, drapes and a Genie Ariel Work Platform.

As the studio required an infrastructure which would enable it to provide additional technical facilities in future, A.C. also installed a stage management intercom system, projector facilities, house light control facilities, and audio and video tie lines in preparation of future upgrades.

The performing arts students held their first major show in the new facilities - "The Performing Arts Showcase!" - on the 9th/10th February, and will be following this with the First Year National Diploma students' performance of "A Chorus Line" in mid-March.

The College's Project Manager, David Coeshall, commented: "A.C. Lighting have completed an excellent project in supplying and installing the technical facilities. They rose to the challenge of installing all equipment and extensive wiring work in just two weeks, and the theatre was ready to use after the third week."

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