Estonia leaps into today’s stage technology and beyond
Estonian theatres are competing with the celebrated world theatre stages and the market is expanding fast. Trekwerk/Show Canada Group has completed two installations in Estonia, the Ugala Teater in Viljandi, the Vanemuine Teater in Tartu and has just begun the Endla Theater project in Pärnu.
Estonians are no strangers to the wealth of stage technology on offer today and are updating venues at a great pace. Toomas Peterson, General Director Teater Vanemuine: “The Estonian theatre houses are state owned with performances facilitated by Soviet systems. They were all built forty to one hundred years ago, the technology never changed. The government recognized we were sitting on a time bomb and put technology renovations high on the agenda. We at Tartu had a fifty year old installation. We put on a lot of performances, we were never sure if things would work, now our installation works to perfection. We are very pleased.”
Jamie Taylor contractor Project Manager (Clockwork Automation) for Trekwerk/Show Canada Group, is dedicated to the projects in Estonia and focussed on the Endla Theatre in Pärnu: “Estonia’s cultural sector is currently enjoying a boom with large investments in the theater infrastructure, with rich and diverse performing arts in demand.”
Meanwhile the Vanemuine Theatre is up to date with their over stage. Peterson: “We are very pleased with the performance of our installation we are looking forward to the next renovation the under stage in May 2017. Foremost is that the control system allows for synchronicity, making life easier, more controlled and less susceptible to human error.”
The want for innovative theatre technology doesn’t stop with the renovations, the Estonian government is researching a large scale project which will involve a new national opera house in collaboration with a concert hall in Tallinn. Peterson: “This is a point of discussion at the moment. Theatres are very important to us, as a nation we have the highest rate of theatre visits, Estonia has 1.3 million inhabitants, there are 1.2 million theatre visits annually!”
Theatre is rooted in the Estonian culture from childhood. Taylor: “The forward thinking educational system in Estonia has enabled a generation of entrepreneurial-minded and tech-savvy students. We take great pride in upgrading facilities to enable generations new and old to continue pushing the boundaries of the arts and assisting them in their continued productions”. Peterson: “All Estonian theatres share the same sentiment; we want our technology to at least survive the next twenty to thirty years.”
—
Additional information for editing
Completed in April 2017
Ugala Teater Viljandi
Technical renovation
• 37 SynchroDisk Fly bars
• 4 lighting frames
• 4 SynchroPoints 250kg
• 4 rearstage lineshaft sets
• 2 forestage chainhoists
• Dual level Revolving stage with 4 lifts
• 3 Orchestrapit lifts
• 600vDC and TNM operating system
Completed in September 2017
Vanemuine Teater Tartu
A New technical installation
• Dismantling of the complete over-stage installation
• New lamel grid floor
• 40 cross stage winches
• 3 lighting frames
• 12 SynchroPoints 250kg
• HOAC/Harlequin hoistable ballet floor
• Dual Level Stage revolve
• 13 stage lifts in the revolve
• Three Orchestra pit lifts.
• 600vDC and TNM operating system Starts May 2017
Endla Theater Pärnu
Technical renovation
• New Lamel grid
• 35 SynchroDisc Fly bars
• 4 SynchroPoint 250kg
• 4 chain hoists 250kg
• Dual Level revolving stage
• 2 Orchestra pit lifts
• 3 lighting frames
• 1 flown portal bridge
• 600vDC and TNM operating system
About Trekwerk
Trekwerk provides the technology for the ultimate Stage experience.
We have designed, built and installed over one hundred theatre systems worldwide. Our references include: the National Theatre in Oslo, the Barbican Theatre in London, Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam and the Berliner Festspiele in Berlin.
As a member of the Show Canada Group we deliver fully automated scenic elements, under stage projects and specialized architectural elements. The Show Canada Group has provided the automation technology for Cirque du Soleil, the Opening & Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver, London and Sochi Olympic Games, and spectacular establishments in the Hospitality & Entertainment Industry.
We design and fabricate steel constructions, under- and over stage mechanics and develop motion control hard- & software. Once a project is completed we offer after care through full service & training.
Trekwerk prides itself on the custom-made TNM Motion Control Software and innovative products for Theatrical Rigging.