LTM was consulted about the restoration and rejuvenation project for the Baths, (originally designed by city architect Henry Price and opened in 1906) by Jonathan Hartley who is heavily involved in developing Manchester College's creative apprenticeships, performing arts and community training programmes.
He had been tasked with the challenge of making a flexible workable space into a modern theatre and performance facility, capable of staging a wide range of events including art, fashion, music, dance and drama shows not just for the College, but for the benefit of the whole community.
Hartley first met LTM's John Jones while the latter was pioneering professional Rigging courses back in the 1990's, some of which were run at Liverpool Community College where Hartley was teaching at the time. Subsequently, LTM installed a theatre style grid system into Edge Hill University about 5 years ago on Hartley's recommendation.
He says, "I didn't think twice when it came to asking the right people and company to get involved - I wanted quality, dedication and ingenuity". The specific brief was to create a hybrid flying system that embraced the working styles of both theatrical and rock 'n' roll productions, that would be quick and easy to rig/ de-rig with equipment and also practical for training and teaching purposes."
Dan Holme (for LTM) and Stuart Fraser (for J&C Joel) managed the project from design to commissioning. The installation team were on site for a week engaged in the physical installation, all of which went very smoothly due to the diligent pre-planning that had started several months earlier.
The grid design consists of 4 x 13m Litestructures LitePro 520 mm box trusses which traverse the space horizontally. Each of the trusses has two 500 Kg LoadGuard BS7906: Part 1, Category A hoists suspended from them.
Sub hung from the mother trusses on the LoadGuards are two 10 x 8 m rectangular grids made up of LitePro 290 trussing. These are robust and ideal for the rigging of sound, lighting and video kit for events taking place in the space.
The grids are moved in and out via a Guardian 8 channel motor controller. This would normally be wall mounted in a venue, but for additional flexibility, it was supplied in a portable flight case housing - more true to the rock 'n' roll elements of the spec - and complete with a hand-held rigger's remote.
Large glass windows run along one side of the venue, so to finish the grid system installation, J&C Joel fitted a Triple E track - also matched to the brickwork colours - along the sides of the grids, and supplied a complete set of black Molton blackout drapes. This enables either the whole perimeter of the space to be blacked out or selected segments.
(Jim Evans)
