Re:Lit Project - Shelley Theatre

Partners

Re:Lit 2014 Project Review

Shelley Theatre, Boscombe

www.RelitProject.co.uk


Lighting technology is continually improving which is fantastic news for the profession and the places where lighting is used. However, wastage of fully functioning lighting equipment that still has many years of life (and also can’t be sold) needs to be addressed.

This is where Re:lit has it’s role to play where we work with manufacturers to take superseded, damaged and ex-demo lighting off their shelves and put it to good use in community lighting design projects that save energy and more importantly encourage spaces to be shared, with our overall aim to bring people and groups together.

For places that need a bit of love and the use of light to create something beautiful and sustainable are the principals that we work to. Our work and time provided for the selected projects is free and the reason we’re doing this is that there is so much space that can be used better for people to enjoy and feel part of. We’re currently working on the Shelley Theatre project in Bournemouth, Dorset to create a space for the public to use, why not read a bit more about it here.

If you would like to stand up and be counted and support the initiative, just send your details at the bottom of the page for how you’d like to benefit.

We say let light live and let’s make our communities a better place for those who will benefit from using it.

LET - LIGHT - LIVE

Introduction

Our Partners

To all of our sponsors who supported us in 2014. Your support truly made a difference to the project, we were honestly blown away with the energy and enthusiasm that you all showed towards the project. We hope that our story and blog gave enough of the spotlight back to all those who donated.

Thank you!

The Concept

The inspiration for the Re:lit project comes from another like minded initiative ’90 Main Yard’ in London’s, Hackney Wick.

The whole ethos was to reinvigorate a former printworks to a space that champions creativity and the power of an idea. The derelict building has been transformed into creative studios, co working space for small businesses and independent professionals and an on-site restaurant.

Everything at 90 Main Yard stems from the passion to convert space, with limited funding. The project promise is to create, curate and deliver space for the community to interact and become part of.

Co-Founder of the Re:Lit project, Stuart Alexander, supported the project with his lighting design advice and skills for the building.

“A huge role to support the lighting vision was from Xicato and Mike Stoane Lighting. The whole reason for the 90 Main Yard project is to bring people together, build relationships both professionally and personally and start a conversation. This is what we want to replicate with Re:lit where through the generosity of others we can make our communities a place to champion togetherness and creativity.”

We Asked

“Every light has a story...”

- Old Generation - Ex Stock - Ex Demo - Ex Stock Retrofit - Ex Demo Retrofit - Superseeded - Incorrect Binning - Manufacturing Fault - LED Technology Fault - Project Leftover - Replacement Stock

This statement became something we spoke about quite often when enquiring to manufacturers about old stock. Learning about a lights history unveiled a huge range of reasons why they had come to us, something that really highlighted to us the way that lighting designs current progression is at such a pace, that it is perhaps difficult to keep up.

Our aim is to highlight the practical use for these lights and to put them in to an environment in which they can be used. One of the most painful things a lighting designer can experience is a shelf full of products never to be used, much like the Pixar animation Toy Story.

We looked to give life to lights that had fallen to the side, or just needed a bit of effort to get them going again.

1) To use existing products and materials only. For example: superseded product lines, old samples, ex-demonstration kit, superficially damaged equipment, products that contain outdated LED lamps types or other components that prevent luminaires from being sold commercially.

2) All donated products must be safe and hold all relevant legal certificates.

3) Fabrication or modifications to products is prohibited, as this will only create waste and additional embodied energy through production.

4) Only energy efficient solutions will be used. For example, superseded products with tungsten halogen lamps will not be considered. The preference is for LED products, though fluorescent, CFLs, cold cathode and HID lamps will all be considered.

5) The final lighting design solution will always be at least 50 per cent more efficient than the existing scheme.

6) All existing lighting components will be recycled.

7) Control systems will be utilised when possible to ensure that energy is controlled and used only as needed.

8) Products will only be sourced from the immediate region i.e. within the UK.

9) All donations and offers of equipment will be credited on the RE:LIT website and publicity materials.

10) Donors may offer any type of equipment but must only send what is requested and/or specified.

Our RulesRE:LIT is an initiative of Michael Grubb Studios, which will provide lighting design services and coordination free. Promotion and marketing will also be free to donors. All the old lighting will be recycled and every scheme will aim to cut energy consumption by at least 50 per cent.

RE:LIT won’t change the world but it will help promote the lighting industry and save energy for some very deserving projects. And it will fulfil your equipment’s lighting destiny.

The idea is to get rid of the old lighting and replace it with something spectacular and sustainable, for free.

The rules listed to our partners on their invite to be included:

The Project

Shelley Manor (1801) was the home of Percy Florence Shelley the son of Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) but had become abandoned and boarded up in a neglected state for several years. The site now accommodates a GP practice, apartments and the revitalised Shelley Theatre.

We chose this project as our 2014 focus, for the opportunity that the theatre presents to bring music, drama, cinema, events and exhibitions to the local area. There is such a distinct charm with this theatre and our biggest opportunity is how the space should be Re:lit.The theatre is slowly being restored and currently uses hugely inefficient tungsten floodlights to light the main theatre, consuming as much as 8KW of power. Our aim is to create something special, upcycle /reuse and slash energy consumption all at the same time.

Keep up to date with how the project is progressing by visiting our blog page. If you would like to apply for next years project to let light live in your community space, simply add your details at the foot of the page.

We decided to get up and visit the people design, supply and manufacture lighting equiptment. People who we had developed relationships with working as lighting designers and which led to us also meeting new people from their workplace.

Seeing how and where people work gives you a real insight to what they are about and the passion they put in to their work, We got full product range displays, product development presentations, updates on the latest technology and of course a nice cup of tea everywhere we went!

The best thing that has come out of visiting people was seeing how their process towards making lighting equipment and seeing how differently people do it. It is very difficult to convey this message in short office meetings and we were blown away with what we saw.

This knowledge gives us, as designers, a much better understanding of what we can look to do on projects and who is best to guide us. This knowledge is invaluable. We thank everyone who welcomed us so warmly to their place.

We Visited

You Donated

We Designed

All of a sudden our office was full of boxes and lights, we were blown away with the response from our partners. We had a good idea of what we had, but now it was our turn to work out what to do with it all.

We had a plan, a schedule, and a site. The best thing to do was to lay the lights our and mark them up on the plan. We could soon work out where the holes in the lighting scheme were and work out how we could fill in the gaps, or use luminaires in other ways to achieve what we wanted to do.

One example of our design approach was that we received quite a number of track mounted fittings, which was fantastic, but equally we didn’t have much track. We found that removing the adapters and mounting them into wooden blocks allowed us to have moveable uplights we could use throughout the Theatre.

We Upcycled

One story we were quite proud of is this upcycled feature chandelier we made from left over components from site and a donation from Xicato and High Technology Lighting.

These lights illuminated the Xicato stand at Frankfurt Light + Build 2012 and had been unused since, this installation was created during Light + Build 2014.

Originally track fittings, we took apart the components back to a the bare Xicato module with its heatsink and connected them to some acrylic poles from a student theatrical set design performance, which had been discarded. We then filled the acrylic poles with broken glass which had been salvaged from a scrap yard and used as a feature material on the bar.

A little bit of creativity and know-how allowed us to create something which added to the appeal of the staircase (which is currently awaiting funding).

We Built

We got a real opportunity to get hands on with the products we were given and learnt a lot about the electrical and technical side of lighting. This was a great opportunity for members of Michael Grubb Studio to touch up and to teach others in the studio. It also gave a great insight to what is and isn’t difficult to achieve with lighting on the installation phase. This is vital for newer members of the team to work on something and see its effect so quickly.

We are particularly thankful to Architainment, LED Linear UK and Precision Lighting for their technical support for some bits which were a bit above our heads. We made some mistakes, but that is the only way you learn!

We Tested

Light is very tactical, you have to touch and feel it to understand what it can do. Testing is extremely vital part of our job and the opportunity to play around with fittings and luminaires was both enjoyable and grew our knowledge. Again for some members of our team it was their first experience with light outside of the office, and there was no better place to be able to use as a friendly testbed.

We a hugely thankful to the supportive Shelley Theatre who trusted our intentions and enjoyed getting involved with our trials. We really stretched everything that was donated to us to make the best lighting installation we could from what we had.

Our Results

8kW

951w

*Full breakdown schedule available for verification if required.

2 500W Halogen flood illuminate the stage. A selection of the lighting equiptment removed by the Re:Lit project.

Total energy consumption for the existing lighting equipment.

Total energy consumption following the Re:Lit project*

The Curtain Call...

The Entrance


The Bar


The Events Space


The Events Space


The Studio Pavillion


Theatre


The Theatre


The Theatre

Thank You

We are really grateful to the community of passionate people around us who supported us in this project, we could not of done it without the kindness our partners, their technical support and the wonderful Shelley Theatre. It may of been a little bit of an experiment, but it paid off.

This is the bedroom window Mary Shelley built in to the Theatre on its construction. We illuminated the window and it is left on during performances to give reference and thanks to the Shelley Family for a wonderful space they built in 1849. May there be many years of entertainment and pleasure from this Theatre, it has been inspiring to be involved in such a project.

2015...?

We want to undertake one Re:Lit project a year and now we are looking for 2015. We are looking for a suitable and worthy project to work with us, if you know anyone, anywhere or anything, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us!

It could be...? A building An urban space A park A landscape

Or a space in between everything else that just needs some love!

Notes for Editor

Michael Grubb StudioBased in Bournemouth, we are an independent lighting design practice that taking architectural lighting design in a new direction. We offer consultancy, strategy, design and creative services across all areas of lighting design. These include; strategies and masterplanning, public realm, retail and leisure, exterior, interior, exhibition, heritage and light-art.

‘Why I’m getting involved?’

Michael Grubb from Michael Grubb Studio:

“I am personally very grateful for everything the lighting design industry has given me over the years, so now is the time to give something back. We hope the RE:LIT initiative will grab the imagination of the lighting design profession, raise awareness of the issues and contribute to the greater good of sustainable lighting design.”

The ID GroupTelling stories is the only true differentiator we have left. We are a content marketing consultancy that helps other companies become the influencer in their industry by positioning them as the ‘Go To’ company to create profitable action.

‘Why I’m getting involved?’

Mark Masters from the ID Group:

“Whilst we work within our communities on a commercial aspect, I also say that it’s our duty to serve the localities that we are part of. We all need to become a bit more altruistic rather than simply promoting the products or services that we represent. Giving a bit back is good for the soul, so rather than use it as an opportunity to self promote, why not stand up for the things that you believe in.”

Re:lit is an initiative from lighting design practice Michael Grubb Studio and supported by the marketing consultancy The ID Group.

www.RelitProject.co.uk

Contact:[email protected] 511005

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Re:Lit Project - Shelley Theatre