S+H Adds Production Value for Wales National Eisteddfod

	National Eisteddfod of Wales. Photo: courtesy Scott Callaghan Art Production

Drapes, special effects specialist S+H Technical was asked by creative production design practice Scott Callaghan Art Production, run by Sid Scott and Alison Callaghan in Cardiff, UK, to provide large quantities of their RGB LED starcloth to the high profile National Eisteddfod of Wales, this year staged in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.

Set designer Scott worked closely with lighting designer Nigel Catmur on crafting the aesthetic for the main hub of the event, the Pafiliwn, an 1800 capacity theatre space which hosts various live performances, competitions, and the main crowning ceremonies held throughout the week long event.

This year for the first time the Pafiliwn was staged in a new venue -- a 60m long by 40m deep pavilion structure from staging specialist Neptunus Structures, based on their fully insulated Evolution II temporary building system and featuring around 9m of headroom.

Catmur has worked on the National Eisteddfod for many years and this year wanted to ramp up the performance experience, so in collaboration with Scott suggested an RGB starcloth to wrap the entire arena. This gave guests a 360 degree enveloping experience as well as an interesting back-filler for all the various camera angles used by the BBC and S4C (Welsh language) broadcasts from the event.

There were additional S+H starcloths also used on the main stage which were combined and layered with LED screens, moving lights creating gobo effects, and a removable glitter gauze on a tab rail supplied by S&H, all of which could be used in different combinations to create dynamic backdrops / settings for assorted artists and presentations happening onstage.

These included popular Welsh male voice combo Only Men Aloud (OMA) who headlined the opening ceremony.

Scott Callaghan Art Production has been working with S+H for around four years.

The two companies first met when Scott required some starcloth to fit a design created for an S4C concert series called Noson Lawen (roughly translated as "Merry Evening," a long running Welsh language program first aired in Wales in 1982). They wanted a stage surround and a backdrop that could change color through lighting quickly and easily to produce different moods for each song or act.

"S+H is great to deal with," Scott comments. "Always friendly and very helpful in getting whatever product we need to wherever we need it in the far flung depths of Wales."

In addition to the RGB starcloths, they also regularly hire S+H kit like their 6m telescopic pipe-and-drape and use it to create pop-up studio spaces.

S+H's Terry Murtha states, "It's always a pleasure to deal with Sid and Alison at Scott Callaghan ... their work is varied and different and they have a knack of using our products in innovative ways which look great and refreshingly different."

Scott worked closely with the Eisteddfod's head of technical Huw Aled Jones and construction coordinator Tony Thomas and team. Lighting equipment for the Pafiliwn was supplied by ELP and the various scenic elements by Get Set Scenery.