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Where to find decent ex-hire/budget equipment?


sambikeshed

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Hello all,

 

I have recently taken over as the tech manager for The Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter and it has very quickly become apparent they have very few lanterns and an equally small budget! So I am just hoping for some advice on where I might look to for some ex-hire or budget equipment? I have been on usedlighting.co.uk which has a few good lanterns on but I thought there may well be others? (or maybe some of you have the odd fresnel here and there willing to sell on the cheap eh?!)

 

Best,

 

Sam

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Have you visited your neighbours in Exeter? The half dozen theatres/venues and the Uni may be able to help next time they re-furbish and may even have "junk" in glory holes they do not want.

 

Arts Council South West is in town so a coffee and a chat might point you in the direction of unused equipment over a wider area. There is also the sad but useful possibility of those places that are closing due to cuts.

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Stage Electrics have a page of ex-hire stuff on their website. Probably not the cheapest at first glance, but given that you are local to them, they may be interested in supporting new enterprises with some form of "in kind" sponsorship. Certainly worth asking, the worst that can happen is they say "no"... but if you have a development / sponsorship / fundraising person in your organisition I would suggest they make the approach rather than you just asking the guys in the warehouse... I'm racking my brains for the person I dealt with about a similar matter, but the name won't come... I'll repost if I remember!

 

E2A I've been looking at the SE website and couldn't see the ex-hire page, so maybe it's an occasional feature.... still probably worth making contact...

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Do remember that most ex hire stock is either obsolete or has been worked to within an inch of it's life. Very few lighting companies sell good stuff for the simple reason that if it is that good it will be good enough to hire again. You will be in competetion for what used or cheap stuff is available with a lot of other under funded users, so there is no easy fix. You have to be patient, keep your eyes open and take what you can get.

 

That said, Stage Lx have a base in Exeter and there is the Northcot. Have a word with them, they might have some old stuff they never use which they might lend you for a long time. One way of beating the competition for kit is to network with places that might have it in the future.

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Hey,

 

I run all the student tech up at Exeter uni, we are in a similar position regarding equipment for students. The Northcott very rarely have any excess equipment, however Showbitz (which is operated by some of the staff there) may have some, and it's definitely worth having a word with them. However there's a refurbishment coming up in the summer and we may be having most of our rig replaced, if this happens then I'll let you know cos our rig is medium age but in good condition.

 

Stage LX scrapped their Exeter branch a while ago I believe. Not sure of any other places which may have equipment locally.

 

Sam

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for all the replies, I was having some weird goings on where I could not reply..! I think it was my dodgy laptop though, have upgraded now to a macbook.

 

I was wondering about the Brewhouse and have just met their (old) deputy stage manager but forgot to ask http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif

 

Ah Sam House, I'll contact you directly about the rig. Is that the one in the M&D or some place else?

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  • 3 weeks later...

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