Brighton College stages a wide range of musical, dramatic, and dance performances, from informal concerts to large-scale productions, and placed a strong emphasis on equipping its new facility with technical provision of the highest level to support a fully professional experience for audiences and participants. This commitment to excellence was reinforced when the College invested in a significant number of lighting fixtures by Martin and Elation (both distributed in the UK by Live Technology) to best serve its ambitious programme.
Performing Arts Technical and Facilities Manager Joe Wailes explained: “We wanted to invest in kit which easily caters for the varying demands of the venue, and also enables us to follow a five-year growth plan to invest in equipment and brands that allow us continuity and consistency when purchasing products or topping up from hire houses further down the line.”
Whilst predominantly based in The Cairns Theatre, kit is also moved around the site to cater for various events in the school’s other 60, 80, and 120-capacity spaces, covering everything from drama, musical theatre, classical music, rock nights, comedy, and corporate functions. In order to achieve optimal results, Joe looked closely at a number of options, and arranged on-site demonstrations of prospective solutions, including one conducted by Live Technology:
“The demos were really useful. For our profile units we looked at different options and ultimately went for a majority rig of Martin MAC Viper XIP’s due to the build quality, light output, and feature set, offering good value for money. We now plan on adding some MAC Encore Two to the package to provide top quality, high fidelity lighting options.
“Due to the layout of the space, we then needed to look at a smaller profile option that would work alongside the VIPER XIPs. Josh (Wakley) of Live Technology suggested that we look at the Elation Paragon S, and it turned out to be a clear winner in our eyes, offering high colour rendering and impressive output for its size, while its IP rating offered us the ability to use the units for functions across the site.
“When looking for an ‘effect’ unit, we needed an impressive multi-use fixture that came at a price point that would allow us to purchase in quantity. Once we saw the Martin MAC One Washes along with the VDO Grid Mount system, we were sold. These are brilliant units that allow us to add something special to all our events and productions. Our current inventory of 22 is planned to grow to 64 by the end of 2027, alongside the ability to hire more units in large quantity in an affordable manner.”
As well as Martin MAC Viper XIP, Martin MAC One Washes and Elation Paragon S, the College also took delivery of two Martin Macula remote follow spot systems, used to make standard moving lights follow performers and/or objects on stage. The College’s investment in its new Martin and Elation stock allows it to be self-sufficient and push beyond the boundaries of ‘school theatre’ into a firmly professional realm. With close connections to the community, which sees it in year-round operation in and out of term time, The Cairns Theatre is set for a very busy and bright future.
Wailes concluded: “I must also add that the support from Live Technology with the demos, troubleshooting, and installing of kit – specifically the Macula – has been a key driving force behind aligning ourselves with these brands.”
Head of Lighting at Live Technology, Joshua Wakley added: “It’s been fantastic working closely with Joe and the team to help match fixtures to the future vision of the venue, and even better to hear so much positive feedback now it’s all in action. We were very happy to help with the technical specification and loved having the ability to offer a turnkey solution from the brands we exclusively represent. As the Theatre’s infrastructure grows, we look forward to paying more visits to Brighton to assist in its further development.”
