The arena for the celebrations was built by Apollo Event Consultants and, due to the magnitude and historic relevance of the occasion, they wanted to create a setting which was unforgettable. As a result, they approached White Light to provide the lighting, having previously worked with the complete production solution specialist on other events.
Tim Hanbury, managing director at Apollo Event Consultants, comments, "This was a hugely significant event to work on. As it is extremely rare to be able to celebrate such an important landmark, we had to ensure that the standards we implemented were the highest possible - hence the reason why we contacted White Light."
Apollo Event Consultants had the task of building a series of structures at Runnymede which could then be used for the day's celebrations. Tim adds, "We had to provide the entire infrastructure for the event such as the main arena, which included the orbit stage, along with all of the other staging, the guests' seating and the dozen marquees which were all of different sizes."
It was White Light's role to provide the lighting for the orbit stage, with particular focus being placed on the London Philharmonic Orchestra who performed at the event. Led by White Light's project manager Phil Gladman, who states,"This was a fantastic opportunity for White Light as we were essentially contributing to a part of British history. We worked closely with Apollo Event Consultants to not only ensure that we used the best equipment we had available but that this was the most appropriate in capturing the overall feel of the event."
The lights used on stage included ETC Source 4 Zooms, Arri 2K Fresnels and Avolites Art 2000 48 Way Dimmer Racks - all controlled by an Avolites Pearl Control Desk. Following on from its recent expansion into audio and video, White Light was once again called upon to offer the full extent of its services. Phil comments, "We were also asked to provide the riggers requested by the other entertainment providers working on the event. Not only that but we supplied 86 music stands for the orchestra meaning that we played a role in all aspects of the staging."
(Jim Evans)
