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Corona: Zero 88 supports virtual studio at Congress Theatre Cwmbran

The Congress community theatre in Cwmbran, Wales - which had to cancel all its shows in March 2020 as Covid-19 took hold - has now been reimagined as The Congress Virtual Studio, a streaming facility encouraging local artists and businesses to record and broadcast music shows and engage in events, generating interest and at least some income during this period.

Cwmbran is also the home of Zero 88’s manufacturing facility. There are close ties between the lighting control brand and the 300-seat venue, which has Zero 88 Chilli dimmers installed, and furthermore, Zero 88’s international sales manager Tyler Holpin is actively involved as a volunteer on the technical side.

Jon Salman and Green Room Events based nearby in Abertillery are also regular technical suppliers to the theatre, and he, Holpin, Congress Theatre manager Martyn Redwood, and a few others came up with the idea of transforming the space into a studio.

Green Room Events are providing video including 6 x cameras - two operated and four PTZ cameras - plus a PPU, LED screen, media servers and additional audio equipment together with lighting control, using a Zero 88 FLX console they purchased last year.

Hooked in to the FLX are the Congress’ 16 x in-house LED wash and spot moving lights and 72 channels of dimmed light sources, plus specials like active Sunstrips and Vintage Blaze fixtures which are used as scenic props for some of the shows and streams.

At the Studio, the FLX is running on a wireless network allowing the lights to be focussed via App on smartphone or tablet. Tyler Holpin has been operating lighting for many of the streamed events along with Nathan Long who normally works at the Borough Theatre in Abergavenny.

From the start, the Congress Virtual Studio concept was designed to be fully Covid-compliant. Once the studio gained momentum, a steady flow of bands and artists started booking time and local companies started looking at the facilities for broadcasting or recording promotional and team building events or training sessions.

The Congress Theatre has run shows featuring local favourites, and Zero 88 recently booked the studio to deliver a live-streamed virtual launch for several new power, control and networking products, a stream featuring a special guest appearance by local singer-songwriter Tobias Robertson.

The Theatre’s green room area has been commandeered and repurposed as the Studio control room, just adjacent to the main auditorium and the broadcasts are handled and delivered utilizing a Wirecast system running via a 1 Gb fibre-link. The Congress Virtual studio initiative is expected to last until they can fully re-open to a real audience.

(Photos: Bellagio Boys/Creative Fez/Tyler Holpin/Megan Postle)

www.zero88.com

www.congressvirtualstudio.co.uk

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