CLAYPAKY's Rhapsodya and Sinfonya light up the Cour d'Honneur at the Festival d'Avignon
An unmissable event for theatre lovers, the Festival d'Avignon celebrates its 78th edition in 2024. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, this major international performing arts event attracts thousands of enthusiasts each summer to various venues around the city. At the heart of the festival, the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes is an emblematic venue, offering a unique setting for exceptional performances. This year, 8 Claypaky Sinfonya and 6 Claypaky Rhapsodya fixtures have been installed, combining state-of-the-art technology with high artistic requirements.
An installation worthy of the venue
Before making their choice, the Festival's technical team carried out rigorous tests at FabricA, a theatre in Avignon with dimensions similar to those of the Cour d'Honneur. These tests allowed the performance of thespotlightsto beaccurately assessed.
Manuella Mangalo, General Lighting Manager, explains, ‘I was able to see for myself the optical quality of these fixtures. This is important for the Cour given the largedistances involved. I chose to work with Claypaky, partly because the only request we received from Angelica Liddell's lighting designer was that he wanted the entire wall of the Cour to beilluminated inred. So I put my faith in additive lighting technology, which allowedus to enhance the vibrancy of the colours. As is often the case, the initial ideas for a design didn’t materiliseand the lighting designer didn't follow through with his idea.’
Major technical challenges
The Rhapsodya fixtures were used for the side lighting (courtyardsideand gardenside), while the Sinfonya fixtures, installed at a height of 30 metres, were chosen to illuminate the imposing walls of the Cour d'Honneur. These additive synthesis LED spotlights lived up to expectations, despite the particularly demanding requirements.Manuella Mangalo explains, ‘The conditions for creatingat the Cour d'Honneur are very specific: the architecture of the venue, the time constraints and the pressure that the companies feel,make our work highlyunique. Our main problem at the Cour de Honneur is ensuring there is enough power to light the stage. We would need significantly more fixtures to generatea greater amount of light. The lack of power isgenerallya primary concern forlighting designers. We're also ina period of transition which makes it difficultto compare manufacturers. The working methods of the teamswe worked withthis year are all very different and the constraints of the Cour require a high level of adaptability. For the moment, we proposea certain number of spotlightsdepending on our financial resources and it's up to theteamsto work with these. I have no doubt that in future years lighting designers will have much more specific requirements in terms of their list of automated equipment, and we will have to find solutions that are feasible within theconstraints oftime and budget.’
CLAYPAKY, spotlightsdesigned for the theatre
Sinfonya and Rhapsodya weredesigned to meet the specific needs of the theatre. With a CRI of up to 95, these spotlights offer an exceptional quality of light.Sinfonya's 600 W RGBAL LED module and Rhapsodya’s1200 W RGBAL LED module, together with their respective 160 mm and 170 mm front lenses, guarantee optimum light coverage. Their common features include the Absolute Position™ function, allowing precise and silent control of movements, and an advanced cooling system that keeps the noise level at just 27 dB at full power (Tonedown™). Finally, the Accuframe™ blademodule, installed on two focal planes, significantly improves sharpness.These innovations are testament to CLAYPAKY's determination to continue developing lighting solutions tailored to the requirements of the theatre.
A promising international collaboration
Moira Milano, Lighting Designer and Specification Manager at CLAYPAKY, is delighted with the success of this collaboration with the Festival d'Avignon, ‘We dedicated two years to research and development to create Sinfonya and Rhapsodya, which have received a very positive response from the market. We are convinced that these products will play a key role in many future international projects. The Festival d'Avignon, with its national and international reputation, is an exceptional platform for showcasing our products.’She added, ‘I would also like to thank our partner DIMATEC, without whom the installation of Rhapsodya and Sinfonya in the Cour d'Honneur would not have been possible. This imposing venue, steeped in history, is a real challenge for any lighting designer, but our products were able to demonstrate all their qualities despite the weather conditions, which in no way compromised their performance. We are proud to have been involved in this ambitious project.