Stage Electrics supply Brighton College’s new cultural hub
When Brighton College unveiled The Richard Cairns Building — its new cultural hub —, the centrepiece was a 400-seat, multipurpose performance theatre.
Its advanced technical infrastructure includes five different product series from the GLP LED catalogue, supplied by distribution partners Stage Electrics, and supported by GLP UK. This included the impression X5 Wash, WildBar 16, JDC Burst 1 and GLP Creos. The College also makes use of 60 of GLP’s flexible Nexus wireless, battery-powered RGBW panels, which the College had already brought into the wider inventory.
The new building also houses a separate drama and dance studio, 13 music rooms and an adaptable foyer area for impromptu performance, among its suite of spaces. Therefore, central to the thinking of Performing Arts Technical & Facilities Manager, Joe Wailes — himself an experienced touring LD and production manager — was the need for portability and an IP65 rating. GLP offered this in spades.
However, one fixture that’s been rooted to the Cairns Theatre, as an overhead and backlight wash, has been the first batch of X5 washes. “They have become the staple wash, and with their incredible depth, I believe they are the best colour fixture we’ve got,” he said.
The entire project had originally been tendered back in 2019 — but underwent a gestation period, with some of the original specified lighting now redeployed to the black box dance studio. When Joe Wailes arrived in the summer of 2024, he chose his preferred vendors based on experience. “I would always choose GLP for my wash lights,” he said.
Although the work went out to tender, he had enjoyed a close relationship with Stage Electrics from a previous engagement. “I was keen to work with them and was very happy with [the equipment and service] we received. They also arranged a demo day with us with a lot of different types of fixtures to help with the selection.” Installation was carried out by the College’s in-house team.
And so, after opening in several phases, it was September this year when The Cairns Theatre became accessible to the general public.
Speaking of his preference for GLP, Wailes said, “The reason I chose them was so we could support work around the building and campus generally — which is why I went for the WildBars [powerful tilt bars] and the same with Creos [3 x 6-row stacked wash lights].” Both have IP65 protection ratings — and Creos recently showed its versatility by washing the exterior of the building in a rich red to enhance a show.
When choosing products, a further consideration for Wailes in getting best value was with the pupils in mind. “If they want to pursue technical theatre as a career, they should be using equipment that is out there now and is industry standard. And that’s another reason I chose GLP for the wash lights.”
Also a big fan of Nexus, the 60 modular units will often be deployed backstage and around the foyer performance area, their magnetic strips easily attached to the steel decking to provide atmosphere.
All the shows in the multipurpose Cairns Theatre — which will cover the performance gamut from opera to musical theatre — will be piloted from an ETC Eos Apex desk.
Reflecting on his fixture choice now the theatre is fully up and running, Joe Wailes says, “I think the impression X5 represents the best colour mixing we have in the theatre. It was a key feature that they could work really well with skin tones — especially when we are staging ballet and straight drama —, and then within hours we will be hosting a rock ‘n’ roll night when we need really bold colours. And the beauty of the X5 is that they do both really well.”
Finally, he highlights one other “massive advantage” when it comes to lighting consistency. “The fact that you have the same chips in WildBar and the Creos as you do in the X5 allows so much more versatility to my designs, because I don’t have to worry about matching the colours.”
Added Stage Electrics Head of Key Accounts & Partnerships, Paul Roughton, “Stage Electrics were delighted to support Joe and the team throughout this project. From early discussions and hands-on demonstrations through to delivery, our focus was simply to make sure they had the right tools in place to achieve the result they were aiming for. Stage Electrics have worked with Joe for many years, and it’s always a pleasure to collaborate with someone who knows exactly what they want from a space.
“We also have a long-standing relationship with Paul and the team at GLP, we always enjoy working with them. GLP products remain a strong part of our portfolio, and this project is a great example of how their reliability and performance can add real value when paired with the right support. We’re proud to have played a part in bringing the design to life.”
