GSA prides itself on offering the very best vocational courses, so when Mig Burgess, a technical theatre tutor, attended a free seminar at the 2016 Olympia PLASA show for the new MA dot2 lighting console, she was very impressed. The desk was exactly what Burgess had been looking for, as she explained:
"I've always wanted to let my students practise with the MA platform, but MA2 consoles are a little beyond our budget. The dot2 solves both of these problems, as not only is it a financially viable option but it is also simpler for a novice to access. It also gives our students experience using MA protocols which gives them a foothold to go on and explore the possibilities of MA consoles when they graduate."
After the PLASA seminar, Burgess booked a training session with Thor André from Ambersphere Solutions who visited GSA to give a group of second year students a chance to get some hands-on experience using the new desk. Andre says, "Mig had been looking for a new lighting console for a while. We had been talking about the grandMA2 Light but after attending the seminar at PLASA, the dot2 was firmly on her radar.
"After PLASA I went down to GSA with some lights and a console and spent a few hours training the students. As they were in the middle of a concert lighting module at the time we decided to leave the equipment with them in order for them to use the dot2 in their project."
Michael Fox, a second year Performance Technologies & Production student, who attended the dot2 training session, shares his thoughts about the session: "The training session with Thor was really useful and tailored to the skills set of the group. It allowed us to get a feel for the new console and see what it could do. Everyone in the group learnt a great deal, regardless of whether they had used an MA lighting desk before."
Fox and his group, which consisted of fellow students Piers Illing, Sam Bird and Sam Lennox went on to use the dot2 in their concert lighting module, as Fox explains: "The event was a practical module that assessed our ability to organise and manage lighting at a live event. The project focused on intelligent lighting, allowing us to compare the different design and programming styles between live events and theatre."
The dot2 proved to be such a hit with her students that Burgess has placed an order for a dot2 XFL. She did this even before she returned the borrowed console to Ambersphere. As André concludes, "It's really satisfying to see such a successful outcome from one of our PLASA dot2 training sessions. We are offering more sessions at PLASA Focus in Glasgow on 18-19 January."
(Jim Evans)
