Annex A: Technical Approach |
Partners
Belgrade Theatre (BT)
The Belgrade Theatre, opened in March 1958, holds 866 seats in its two-tier auditorium and as such remains one of the largest regional producing theatres in the country. Since it opening the Belgrade has presented over 800 shows, (ie an average of 16 shows per year), ranging from lavish musicals to comedies and serious drama to a total audience of over 4 million. Since its launch the theatre has pursed a policy of producing innovative and new work. The community and education role of the Theatre widened with the creation, in 1965, of the first Theatre in Education (TIE) company in the world, which was the impetus for the founding of the TIE movement. In the late 60s the Belgrade studio opened across the road in Bond Street with a capacity of 70 - 100, creating an intimate performance space, ideally suited to stimulating the creativity of writers, director and actors. In 1967, the Belgrade Youth Theatre was founded. The Community Department was founded in the 1980s to reach beyond the theatre building and bringing theatre to people who have never experienced it before. The theatre has close links and international work from theatre companies from Denmark, Israel, Japan, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden. The Belgrade’s Community and Education Company is currently undergoing significant transformation, and is looking to develop its work in a range of ways. Priorities for this include building a Black and Minority Ethnic arts programme, increasing the theatre’s outreach work, and developing arts training programmes. Some of this is already underway with the development of a new Youth Theatre group in Canley, which has been set up in association with The 8 Project. As the pioneer of the entire Theatre In Education movement, the Belgrade has an imposing reputation in the field of Young People’s Work, and this continues through other groundbreaking projects like Acting Out. The theatre is very keen to develop stronger links with older age groups from the local communities.
Digital Set Design (DSD)
Digital Set Design Ltd (DSDL) undertakes scenographer and digital art work for multidisciplinary and site- specific performances and installations. The work includes scenography and video projection for theatre, digital installation art and pre-visualisation for film and architecture. Research is undertaken which is focussed on the potential of digital technology within the performance space and the design of virtual narrative and immersive environments. Since 1998 Digital Set Design has designed sets and projections for theatre companies in the UK and Europe with most recent designs including the sets for a site-specific productions of The Tempest (2006) and The Merchant of Venice( 2005) for Corcadorca Theatre company, Cork . Work has also been undertaken for the Manchester Library Theatre providing stage projections for 'Merlin' and 'The Real Thing'. Their work includes set and projection designs for theatre, art direction and set visualisation for film and digital installation art. DADL has focussed on the potential of digital technology within the performance space, and has conducted research into the scalability of virtual reality and immersive interactivity. The Desperate Optimists worked with DADL to develop 3D computer visualisations for their short film in Town Hall set in West Bromwich.
Bluefrog Design Ltd (BDL)
Bluefrog Design Ltd has played key roles in the design and development of a wide range of product types and as such has made significant contributions to the rapid growth, during the past decade, of many of its customers. Bluefrog’s strengths lie in developing the creative solutions that allow new products to be brought to the market and are able to produce prototypes to trial ideas before committing to production of tools providing real benefits in cost effective development. Their skills and understanding of customer’s requirements and the product development process ensure that tight deadlines can be achieved. Bluefrog have developed products in many industries including toys, power tools, educational aids, hygiene equipment, food, electronic enclosures and point of sale and provide a range of services modeling and prototyping, high speed CNC machining, vacuum casting, rapid prototyping, conventional modeling, test rigging design, and exhibition quality finishing. Bluefrog Design Ltd provide product design and development services within a range of product areas including those for households, gardens, pet care, structural packaging, virtual reality products. Bluefrog work with customers from concept through production to marketing and provides 3D CAD, design services, product design, product development, prototyping, plastic moulding technologies, registering intellectual property, undertaking marketing assessments, setting up forums and focus groups, providing specialist services, recommending toolmakers and production companies, finalising commercially viable designs, producing manufacturing data, working as a team with manufacturers and other project partners, monitoring the project through to production.
Stage Technologies Ltd (STL)
Since its formation in 1994 Stage Technologies has quickly grown into an internationally based organisation providing modular automation technology to shows in London's West End with our early credits including Sunset Boulevard, Oliver! and Phantom of the Opera. Building on this early success, the company now has an extensive list of credits in countries all around the world including the most recent Las Vegas spectaculars from Cirque du Soleil, complex theatres for many of the major cruise-ship operators, large-scale pop and rock tours and stage engineering installations in many different venues. Stage Technologies is noe an established company of 55 engineers and support staff based in 4 countries that work to quality standard ISO 9001:2000 using specialist technical skills and expertise to provide versatile, high quality automation solutions for any live performance or entertainment application. Decades ago automation mechanics and control systems were designed on a production by production basis, which resulted in lengthy and expensive fit-up and commissioning times. Identifying the need for modular systems which provide all the benefits of maintainability and upgradeability, Stage Technologies designed a standard product range from winches to control consoles. Their award-winning products have now become the generic solution for many bespoke and turnkey projects. Applications for theatre, opera houses, theatre productions, touring shows, rock and pop tours, concert halls, Music venues, cruise ships, television and film and the leisure industry. Stage Technologies offers engineering solutions for entertainment venues worldwide, bringing the extensive benefits of automation technology to the live performance industries.
Big Stuff Design Ltd (BSDL)
Big Stuff Design Ltd is a family run business with many years experience in building bespoke items for a wide and varied range of clients including shopping centres, large retail stores, celebrities, private organisations and charities. Big Stuff Design Ltd designs and builds a wide range of displays, signage for retail and shopping centres, themed areas, bespoke features, exhibitions, and point of sales. Specialising in both large and small point of sale, special features, displays and signage for use in retail stores, exhibitions, shopping centres & themed areas, they are able to create individual bespoke items such as grottos & main features through to high roll out point of sale for use in many locations. Big Stuff Design supplies various unique displays and features for clients across the UK and are capable of converting customer ideas into reality. They are a unique company that can handle any sized project with ease, creating bigger than big items for use in promotions, advertising, tv shows, theatre productions, point of sale stands. In terms of TV, Film and Theatre Props and Displays the company are able to create a wide range of display props, backdrops and features to suit a wide variety of requirements, from snow capped mountains large enough for cars to drive on through to props for theatrical performances.
SimX Ltd (SL)
SimX is a consultancy and world class research company specialising in factory and robotics simulation. The SimX team are highly experienced at using the DES package Visual Components. Visual Components is a cost effective, high performance Discrete Event Simulation (DES) and rbotics simulation package. Through their technical consultancy services they can review customers current manufacturing processes, identify strengths and weaknesses and offer recommendations for improvements. Whether customers are considering setting up a complete new process line from scratch, or trying to solve a difficult technical problem, SimX consultants have the experience and simulation knowledge to assist you. The SimX team are involved in two UK Technology Strategy Board part funded projects PhysVis and "Accelerated Processes Excellence using Discrete Event Simulation". The objective of the PhysVis project is to use games technology, the Ageia PhysX PPU and OpenGL shaders technology to solve real world engineering problems. The "Accelerated Processes Excellence using Discrete Event Simulation" project aims to embed Lean Manufacturing techniques such as Six Sigma and MIFA into a DES package.
Canard Design Ltd (CDL)
Since its formation in 1995 Canard Design has established a reputation for high levels of innovation and service across diverse fields of product and industrial design offering customers a multi-disciplinary design consultancy dedicated to the innovation and development of commercially successful products. Canard Design operates multi-platform CAD facilities in both 2D and 3D. In addition to providing a full design service, Canard Design has the facilities through associate companies to provide most production requirements from low to high volumes. They possess considerable experience in Product Design, Scientific instrument Design, Lighting Design, Furniture Design, Merchandising Design and Virtual reality products. Their expertise lies in innovation and problem-solving from initial concepts through to realisation, implementation by means of Computer Aided Design (CAD), conventional model-making and Rapid Prototyping. Current client base ranges from companies that manufacture scientific equipment, medical equipment, construction industry products, to security-handling systems. In particular they have designed several Virtual Reality based products including being responsible for the design and production of a free-standing environment for a VR product. The project required that the complete unit could be assembled and disassembled quickly.
De Montfort University (DMU)
De Montfort University (DMU) through its Centre for Manufacturing will contribute their considerable research, industrial and project management experience in the fields of discrete event simulation, genetic algorithms, biological control logic, adaptive systems, performance metrics and database design. They have been involved in several collaborative EPSRC funded research projects involving the use of modeling and discrete event simulation and lead an EPSRC feasibility study to examine the potential for using biological control logic to develop autonomous operations planning systems. This experience has been utilised in a number of research, educational and consultancy projects for leading UK aerospace and automotive organisations. De Montfort University (DMU) - David Stockton is Professor of Manufacturing Systems Engineering within the School of Engineering and Technology. Professor Stockton is Director of the Centre for Manufacturing and leads the Lean Engineering Research Group within this centre. He has amassed over 20 years research, industrial and project management experience in the fields of cost modelling and the optimisation of manufacturing systems design. This experience has been utilised in a number of research and consultancy projects for leading UK aerospace and automotive organisations. Of particular relevance is his work at Airbus (UK) Ltd where he was the Project Director for a major consultancy project that involves the development of cost models for a wide range of advanced composite manufacturing processes. Previous EPSRC projects have included: “Responsive Design and Operation of Flexible Machining Lines”, (EPSRC Ref: GR/ N05871), where the principal aim was to make available procedures for automatically designing and optimising Multi-Component Flexible Machining Lines (MCFMLs). In achieving this aim the work involved integrating a commercial simulation system with genetic algorithms optimization routines. He has also applied genetic algorithms to a range of operations planning problems including aggregate planning, MRP batch sizing, facilities layout and assembly line sequencing. Professor Stockton has published 20 journal papers and over 50 conference papers and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology journal and the Manufacturing Committee of the Association of Cost Engineers.