After receiving a generous grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, part of the Creative Research Capabilities Project, Professor Andrew Knight-Hill (Professor of Music and Sound Arts) and Dr Dave Hockham (Associate Head of School Student Success) commissioned the Stage Electrics team for two exciting new installations.
Bathway Theatre: A New Era of Flexibility
Speaking about the Bathway Theatre, Professor Knight-Hill stated that: “The vision for this space was to create a flexible environment that fosters possibility— allowing people to realise whatever they can dream of, breaking the concept of a traditional stage, and dissolving the boundary between stage and audience in an accessible, user-friendly way.”
The Stage Electrics team designed the new and improved Bathway Theatre with
flexibility at its core, allowing it to adapt to both theatre and research projects. The resulting three-pod modular design is impressive.
The theatre features three separate truss structures, enabling users to work within distinct zones either independently or collaboratively across the space. The middle pod is equipped with a 360-degree cyclorama screen suspended from a curtain rail, making it ideal for immersive audio practices. The audio system was meticulously designed to support immersive and flexible soundscapes.
An ambisonic speaker array was installed, enabling precise sound placement and adaptation to various configurations, including a single large array or distinct zones. This versatility supports a range of applications, from promenade performances with dynamic sound transitions to immersive seated experiences where sound moves around the audience.
This setup seamlessly integrates multichannel formats like Dolby Atmos, ambisonics, and
experimental spatial sound designs. AoIP data cabling infrastructure has been spread in each of the three pods, its vast capacity allowing for seamless audio setup and use.
The university selected Genelec as its loudspeakers of choice throughout the installation. The system’s configuration permits different spatial arrangements, accommodating both traditional theatrical setups and experimental audio research.
When asked how the new space has benefited the students at the university, Dr Emma
Margetson (Senior Lecturer in Music and Sound) said, “The adaptability and hybrid nature of the space have made it a remarkable site for exploration in music and sound. We can work in distinct zones or create a 360-degree sound environment, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in various spatial formats—multichannel, ambisonics, Dolby Atmos, and more.
It offers unique learning opportunities compared to other facilities, supporting a range of
creative and research-focused work in spatial audio that simply wasn’t possible before.”
These benefits extend to the second venue, the Spatial Audio and VR Lab. A smaller audio
research studio within the historic King William Building.
Within the constraints of this historic building, Stage Electrics collaborated with the university team to create a space where students and researchers are immersed in 360-degree sound, arranged in a spherical formation consisting of 32 Genelec 8331s with millimetre-accurate placement.
The space now serves as a model of how adaptability and user-focused design can drive
creative and technological innovation, strengthening international collaboration in immersive sound and theatre research.
Reflecting on the impact of the new facilities, Professor Andrew Knight-Hill highlighted the
importance of balancing technology with creativity: “We are, first and foremost, creatives working with technology, not engineers. So, it’s essential that the learning curve isn’t too steep; it should feel seamless. This is where Aaron from Stage Electrics’ incredible work on the infrastructure really shines, creating that seamless flow. People can focus on their creativity without getting bogged down by the tech.”
