Located in the heart of the City Of London and opened in 1982, the Grade II listed Barbican complex comprises a large concert hall, two theatres, a cinema, two art galleries, a library, a roof top tropical conservatory, three restaurants and numerous public foyers and spaces.
Referred to by the Guardian as 'A building where there is always something rich and strange going on', the Barbican is Europe's largest multi-arts and conference venue presenting a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and creative learning events. It is also home to the London Symphony Orchestra.
The association between Autograph Sales & Installations and the Barbican dates back some years, and includes the installation of a Meyer Sound Milo system in the 1949-seat Barbican Concert Hall. This association has now evolved to a further degree with the agreement of a new sponsorship initiative involving Autograph & Meyer Sound, which brings new flexibility to the Barbican's Meyer Sound inventory.
The nature of the building dictates that temporary performance spaces can be created in a number of locations, and to that end the Barbican has acquired eight Meyer Sound UPJ-1P loudspeakers plus four 600-HP subwoofers, which will be deployed on two non-permanent projects, the 'FreeStage' and the 'ClubStage'. The former provides a temporary venue for performance art usually located in the main foyer, while the latter provides a dance-oriented sound reinforcement for the regular club nights held in the lower ground floor.
The reciprocal nature of the agreement means that Autograph and Meyer Sound will have access to various facilities within the complex to host technical seminars, product launches, educational and social events.
Autograph Sales & Installations' general manager Debbie Lovelock said: "We've enjoyed a close working relationship with the Barbican for years, and the opportunity to develop that bond, with the support of Meyer Sound, is very exciting. Our companies share values of quality and consistency, so for us both to have access to a world-class facility in the heart of London really opens up many opportunities for us in terms of event presentation."
Roger Harpum, Meyer Sound's UK sales manager said: "Given the iconic status of the Barbican and our long involvement there, Meyer Sound had no hesitation in participating in this agreement. We are very excited at the potential for hosting a variety of events in the heart of London in association with Autograph Sales & Installations."
Mark Bloxsidge, technical manager at the Barbican Hall said: "Meyer Sound's high-end equipment has been the mainstay of the Barbican Concert Hall and the Barbican Theatre for many years. We are delighted that Meyer and Autograph will now extend their involvement to our ClubStage and FreeStage. These venues will host many free concerts and events in the coming years, attracting new audiences to the Barbican and to the arts. We're looking forward to developing our association with both companies through this new agreement, which I'm sure will be of great benefit to all the organisations involved''.
(Claire Beeson)
