April 2009 saw the grand opening of Caroline Chisholm Catholic College’s (CCCC) new performing arts centre, the Quin Auditorium. This co-educational college located in Braybrook in Melbourne’s western suburbs, has always had a very strong affiliation with the performing arts, a fact that will be much amplified with this very impressive new space. The venue is expected to become a cultural arts hub in the district, not just for performing arts, but for visual and media arts also.
From the outside, the slick looking venue appears more and more inviting the closer you get to it. An intriguing façade welcomes you, and a simple yet effective Front of House and foyer area heightens the feel that you are about to enter an impressive space. Inside, the auditorium instantly catches the eye with plush seating for 1000 people, a massive stage area and impressive technical facilities.
Performing Arts Coordinator Myles Collins is in the best position to benefit from the new venue and is quite excited by the rise in interest for performing arts subjects, “The excitement created by this new space has been unprecedented, particularly in the junior levels. We now have three Year 10 drama classes and two theatre arts classes and I’ve already had 90 kids apply for backstage roles for our upcoming production of Aladdin, which is incredible.”
LIGHTING
A massive theatre such as this is can be wasted without the necessary technical paraphernalia; therefore Lightmoves were selected to supply full lighting equipment and infrastructure to the venue. The lighting rig consists of a variety of Selecon Fresnels, Profiles and cyc floods, and is rounded out with a series of Parcans, beam effects, a Strobe and a Fog Machine.
The venue’s infrastructure includes Lightmoves Patch Panels, Circuit Tube, LSC IPAK dimmers and an LSC Maxim 48 Channel Lighting Desk. Lightmoves also supplied the 3 DMX universes to the auditorium that allows all this equipment to operate.
AUDIO / VISUAL
Lightmoves also supplied the Audio / Visual package to Quin auditorium, which includes a purposedesigned Turbosound audio system, JBL fold back speakers and a set of Shure microphones. The audio is controlled by a Soundcraft 24 channel mixing desk and a Lexicon MX200 Multi EffectsProcessor.
The technical elements in the auditorium are rounded off with a Screen Technics 3m x 4m Projection Screen and a Panasonic Projector, which allows the space to be used for seminars, presentations and even for screening films.
LIGHTING CONTROL
Lightmoves also supplied Lighting Control to the venue through the Dynalite system. Chosen due to its compatibility with the theatrical DMX protocol and its ability to interface with a number of other building management services such as air-conditioning and sound, the Dynalite system controls all FOH, backstage and auditorium house lighting in the venue. The various drama and music tutorial rooms located under the auditorium are also controlled by Dynalite; where a motion sensor can turn off all the lighting and air conditioning when a room is empty, adding to the energy saving benefits achieved through this system.
With their inspiring new space completed and an already busy schedule of events ahead of them, there is little doubt that the Quin Auditorium will be an important Artistic Hub in the western suburbs for many years to come; a fact that Myles is fully aware of, “It’s an amazing time to be at the school and I can consider myself very lucky to be able to teach something that I love, in a venue such as this. And the important part that Lightmoves played in making this happen will never be underestimated.”
Project Team:
Architect: Oaten Stanistreet
Builder: Devco Projects and Construction.
Electrical Contractor: 3 Core Technologies
Project Manager: Peter Gray of Lightmoves
Tendering Authority: Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
www.lightmoves.com
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