Summer 2008, and whilst the teachers and students from Ringmer Community College enjoyed their well earned summer break, the engineering teams from Clarity in Sound, Light and Vision Limited were working very hard to create new environments for the returning staff and pupils in the newly built Sixth Form College.
Ringmer Community College and Sixth Form is the first nationally recognised college to have joint Technology and Applied Learning status, which means it adopts an innovative and cutting edge approach towards learning and personal development for the students. This philospohy towards learning has led to comprehensive theatrical sound, lighting and projection systems being installed in the Drama and TV Studios at the Sixth Form college by Clarity.
Stuart Graham from Clarity, responsible for the design of the systems installed at Ringmer commented, 'The drama studio was interesting from a system design perspective for lots of reasons. The studio itself is quite unusual in that there is not a single right-angled wall in the design from which to install any equipment. There is also a requirement to be able to operate all of the sound, lighting and projection equipment from the drama studio floor and/or the overlooking control balcony'.
The control balcony has installed a number of Zero 88 Chilli dimming and switching packs connected to a number of installed lighting bars, providing theatrical lighting facilities on a par with a professional theatre. This allows the students at Ringmer to learn the technical aspects of theatrical production too.
Adding further to the complex design is the issue of the right hand wall of the drama studio, which is removable and opens out into the refectory area. The college often requires the ability to stage productions in both the studio and the surrounding refectory area, which led to some interesting work with the ceiling company to create voids to take the theatrical lighting out of the normal line of sight, whilst not in use.
In addition to the discreet theatrical lighting, the refectory area has been designed as a creative and recreational space with a relaxed communal soft seating area, a modern dining area with art on display, and a mini grand piano for students to use. The soft colour-changing LED panels in the ceiling installed by Clarity serve to add to the ambience of the environment.
Furthermore, a number of small atriums are also incorporated within the design of the refectory ceiling to allow for natural daylight. These have been enhanced with a number of LED spheres hanging in each.
'I really wanted to add interest to these spaces with LED spheres and thankfully the college were very keen to add the wow factor too. The results are outstanding, adding to an already impressive building', commented Stuart Graham.
Clarity also added a complete a sound, lighting and curtain system installation to the TV recording studio at the college.
'The facilities on offer to the students at Ringmer Sixth Form College are truly outstanding, certainly an improvement since the days when I was at college and I'd be happy to be a student again with the facilities on offer at Ringmer' added Stuart Graham.
For further details of the systems installed at Ringmer Sixth Form College please contact us by telephone or e-mail Tel:0845 678 0725 or sales@clarityslv.co.uk