Calgary’s Arts Commons expands lighting inventory with two Robert Juliat Arthur 800W LED followspots
A multi-venue arts centre in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Arts Commons (formerly EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts) has invested in two Robert Juliat followspots from Sapphire Sound.
Arts Commons is located in Calgary’s downtown Cultural District and is one of the three largest arts centres in Canada. Its five theatres and concert hall are home to six resident companies and host a wide array of guest performers annually. While Arts Commons is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the centre has been busy upgrading and expanding its lighting inventory in anticipation of reopening.
A pair of Robert Juliat 800W LED Arthur followspots have been added to the 750-seat Max Bell Theatre, home to Theatre Calgary.
Brian Cloutier, in sales and design for lighting at Sapphire Sound, worked with Kris Ladd, Head of Lighting at Arts Commons, during the upgrade process, providing equipment for demos and shootouts. “Kris knows what he wants, which makes it very easy for me,” he notes. “I’ve also had a long relationship with ACT Lighting, and they give us amazing support for everything we purchase.”
The Arthur LED long-throw followspots from Robert Juliat replace followspots installed in the FOH cove in the Max Bell Theatre for its opening in 1985.
Prior to the closing of Arts Commons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ladd demo’d Robert Juliat’s 600W Oz followspot in search of a medium- or long-throw spot for greater intensity. “Oz was tempting; it was brighter than what we had, but we felt we needed a little more intensity and wanted an LED instead of an arc source,” Ladd recalls. “We were fortunate that Arthur, an 800W LED, came out soon after and was everything we needed!”
A long-time ACT Lighting customer, Arts Commons is eager to reopen. “ACT gives us quick and efficient service,” says Ladd. “They are always ready to respond right away when we need them.” Ryan Hindinger, Director of Sales Logistics at ACT Lighting, facilitated the Arts Commons sale.
ACT Lighting, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of Robert Juliat in North America.
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