The Theatrical Events Company (TTEC)

“The Hayloft is a theatre laboratory. Each Project is based on a series of questions and hypotheses; investigations, not only into our chosen subject matter, but also interrogations of the form of theatre itself. “, Simon Stone, Artistic Director.The Theatrical Events Company (TTEC) was contacted less than two weeks before the 2nd of February, by Simon Stone, the director of the Hayloft Project, with a request for services. The lead up time was short, and the pressure was already present, but Geordie Barker (TTEC’s Managing Director), took to the challenge with open arms.

The Space. The space in use was the undercover carpark/empty warehouse of “Kindred” studios in Footscray, a band and dance rehearsal space. The warehouse had a high ceiling and was quite long and rectangular in space. The meeting between Simon Stone (Hayloft Director), Nic Halliwell (Pipedream Director) and Geordie Barker (TTEC) created the perfect forum to design the space. The group decided to select a few main focal points in the space. The rear wall featured horizontal steel supports, that could act like shelves for a light source, or a light installation. The large frosted weathered, cracked and quite classic windows would allow for some substance to the room and as a perfect platform for ambient light. The large segmented concrete slab wall along the side of the space created a perfect canvas for some moving light work.Before Photos:

The group decided to create two main areas in the space; a chillout area, and a rock out area. It was decided that the band should be on the same level as the audience to bring the audience to them.The mood in each area was clear, the lighting had direction, the sound system had its players, and the event also had some good momentum. The acts to play through the evening would be three bands (The Bellows, On Like Kong and Manners), plus a set of DJs (Bullshit Rare).

The LightingThe lighting, whilst varying throughout the space, all revolved around one main area of focus, the stage. Through the use of moving lights and led colour changing technology, the stage space came alive.

The SoundUsing TTEC’s Mackie Sound System kept the guests dancing well into the night…

The Specs4 x DTS Delta Moving Head LED Units, 4 x MAC 250 Entour Moving Lights, 4 x LED Par 64, 2 x Mackie SA1521z, 2 x Mackie SWA1501 Sub Units, 1 x Yamaha MG16/6 Mixing Console…

The Crew and Creatives (Launch Party)
Lighting Design by Geordie Barker
Sound System Design by Geordie Barker
Lighting Operation by Peter Darby
Sound Operation by James 
Crew: Geoff Adams, Geordie Barker, Peter Darby, Edward Dowling, Harry Cope
Transport: Neil Barker

Thanks to the amazing Nic Halliwell, the cool calm and collected Simon Stone, and all those at the Hayloft for putting on such an awesome party!

A house of three different families hold a trivia night for the benefit of poor and disadvantaged Mongolian Children. 

On Sunday the 12 of January the “Ambrose Music Trivia Night” was held for the benefit of the “Lotus Children’s Fund”, in Anglesea on the Surf Coast of Victoria. This yearly event is produced by a household of 3 different families, The Lamborns, The Evans, and The Barkers. The event is now in its third year of operation, and TTEC was there to share the experience.

The event was conceived just over three years ago by Bernadette O’Connor, A Speech Pathologist from Moonee Ponds in Melbourne. Her cousin Didi Kalika (Gabriel), an Australian kindergarten teacher, living in Ulaanbaatar established the Lotus Centre alongside some friends in 1995. She describes it as “a place for children who come from the most terrorible backgrounds… a chance to change their lives for the better.” The centre gives children in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia a chance to make a positive future through quality education, meaningful education and by creating family groups, consisting of 10 children to one housemother. The centre also helps many ultra poor families with income projects and food assistance, so that poverty does not tear their family apart. The centre is not a large organization and as such almost all the workers are volunteers, the facilities are funded by donations, and as such the organisation and staff pride themselves on being “100% committed to the welfare of our kids.

The fund raising event was held in Anglesea, one and a half hours drive out of Melbourne, at a house name “Ambrose”, owned and shared by three families (The Barkers, The Evans, and The Lamborns). The guests, numbering over 60, were local residents, members of the local surf club, friends of the family, and relatives. The night consisted of 5 rounds of 10 music based questions, the 60’s, the 70’s, the 80’s, the 90’s/00’s and Musicals. As well as guessing the name of the song and the artist who sang it, teams were required to answer a bonus question relating to various facts about that group, or the era the song was released. All questions were original questions and composed by Bernadette.

The Theatrical Events Company provided services on the night free of charge, to show its support for the ongoing work of the Lotus Children’s Fund in Mongolia. The services provided by TTEC were expansive, ranging from outdoor garden lighting, to the showing of a documentary on the centre. For more information on the Lotus Childrens Fund and to make a donation please visit www.lotuschild.org For information on how TTEC can assist you with your next fundraising event or trivia night, please email us at info@ttec.net.au OR Contact Us

Technical Information

Lighting

Outdoor lighting included rope lighting in blue, highlighting the balcony area and drawing the guest on the balcony into the rest of the house; LED fairy lighting on the main scrub area of the garden, creating a beautiful centre piece of the garden and balcony view; blue fluorescent tubes washing the exterial walls of the house in blue alongside contrasting warm coloured Par 38 fittings highlighting various features of the house and garden, including the “Ambrose Surfboard” and the large gum tree in the front yard.

Ambient Lighting included uplighting in two of the main rooms using Par 16 “Birdie” fittings, in open white; the change over of existing down lights to red colored globes, and the general dimming of these fittings.

Dance Floor lighting included the very popular Hallucination Disco Effect which produces coloured beams of oil filtered moving light. A moving colour and shape changing fixture called the Dynatwin, two led pin spots that changed colour with the beat of the music, and a kaleidoscope Disco Effect, on the wall behind the DJ.

Sound

The sound system included Mackie SA1521z 500W Active Two Way Speakers in the main room, with RCF Art 310, 200W Active Two Way Speakers in each of the far rooms, a direct input into the existing Yamaha Surround Sound Stereo System. The music was played off two CDJ1000 CD Players, a Macbook Computer and mixed by a Yamaha MG 16/6 16 Channel Mixing Console. The MC used a Sennheiser Ew300 G2 Wireless Microphone Kit, and Konig and Mayer Mic Stands.

Vision

The vision included playback from a Pioneer V8000 Professional DVD Player, mixed with a Panasonic Digital Mixing Desk and projected using a Sony PX32 Projector onto a Fast Fold Screen.Tallent The MC for the evening was Bernadette O’Connor, the Sound and Lighting Designer/Operator and DJ was Geordie Barker, with thanks to Katherine Attwood.

From all of us here at The Theatrical Events Company (TTEC), we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We will be closed from the 24th of December and reopen on the 7th of January. We can still be contacted at info@ttec.net.au for any urgent enquiries. Stay safe and we will see you next year.Regards,Geordie, Neil and the team at The Theatrical Events Company (TTEC)