The College is the first of its kind for London in ten years and runs a wide range of further education courses for students in the borough, including Performing Arts vocational courses in Technical Theatre, Acting and Dance. When the College was granted funding to build new teaching rooms for the Creative Arts and Media department, it commissioned Theatre Consultant Crin Claxton to produce a detailed specification of the technical facilities required for a new theatre studio, dance studio and film screening room. The theatre would be used to host multiple types of student and guest artist performances, and provide teaching space for the various production and performing arts courses.
A.C. Lighting was commissioned to complete the design for the technical facilities for the new teaching rooms and due to the practical nature of the Technical Theatre and Drama courses, it was essential that the studio's technical facilities be designed to the same specification as a small to medium size professional theatre. As a result, the College has one of the country's most well equipped theatres for teaching performing arts at sixth form level.
The theatre studio was to be designed from the ground floor up in an existing two-storey College building. After voiding the building's first floor and most of the space inside, the dimension restrictions imposed a maximum fly gallery height of 4.5m. Also, the building's ceiling only allowed for a fly height of 7.5m - not quite high enough for flying scenery. However it was still sufficient to provide fly demonstrations for teaching purposes. Due to this restriction, winch sets and rope sets were also used as these could be dropped down to the floor for teaching rigging as safely as possible. Another important factor of the design was to specify theatre equipment that can be operated by a very small crew of students and staff - hence theatre lighting and live digital sound desks by Strand and Soundcraft were specified for the control room.
Theatre multi-media facilities were provided by a 4,100 lumen projector and screen mounted on one of the winch sets. Numerous tie lines and a patching system have enabled a portable AV rack for computer and video presentations and monitors to be located anywhere in the studio.
A Nexo speaker system was supplied with a flexible patch system to cater for a variety of configurations. Another requirement for the audio systems was an assistive hearing induction loop for technicians and performers as well as the audience. A comprehensive stage management system was designed and installed, including a custom designed full height stage manager's desk with facilities for portable paging, intercom, cue light and show timing, as well as ample space for future expansion, storage, and of course the prompt copy.
Most of the time the performance space would be used front-on open stage, but it could also be used traverse and promenade side. Abundant internally wired lighting bars were used for rigging along with track and loose curtains to make a backstage crossover, tabs, borders, legs and a false proscenium.
The main requirements for the dance studio included supplementing the studio's existing sound equipment with a new speaker and projector installation and AV equipment rack, lighting bars, Quartets and a portable dimmer rack on wheels. For the Film & Media Studies facilities, A.C. installed a high output projector, high gain screen, speakers for 7.1 surround sound, and a Chroma-key green curtain.
In total the project involved supplying and installing over 700 separate parts for the theatre studio, dance studio and film screening room, with designs considered at all times with respect to disabled access requirements. Crin C
