Recently we completed a large project for a local secondary school.  We provided the school with a vast array of FR fabric samples, suitable for use in the school hall.  The suitability of a school environment, being durable, conforming to Fire Retardance regulations, but also the school felt they wanted a completely fresh look, with a new colour.  The whole process took a great deal of time to plan.  The fabric chosen was a weave, called Accolade Bilbury, a dim out, provided by Edmund Bell.  The hall consisted of 11 pairs of curtains, with most of them being very long drops of 310cm, lined in Ivory sateen, all weighted, with double hems, in a pencil pleat heading.

The school asked us to construct the stage curtains in the same Accolade fabric, lined this time in black sateen.  Each curtain had 6 widths of fabric per side, so 9 metres width in each.  The drop was 310cm.  So in each curtain, per side there was approximately 65 metres of fabric and lining. The process in making stage curtains is not that different to making standard curtains, but the more you sew together, the heavier the job becomes, so it is a timely process and a heavy job to do.  Once all the widths are sewn together before the hem can be stitched a jack chain channel has to be created.  This is then suspended in the hem, and the jack chain is threaded down the 9 metres of width into each curtain, to give the right flow and drama of a stage curtain.  The heading was quite important with these curtains, as there was no valance at the top to conceal the top of the curtain.  So we decided to go for a box pleat heading, which was constructed, then reinforced with a deep webbing, on which the snap hooks were already sewn individually.  The snap hooks were machined in 4 places, to give a good anchorage.  The overall effect was very good and where previosuly the old stage curtain heading had tipped over, these stood up in their pleats.

The backdrop was a completely new installation which required a suspended plinth, from the stage ceiling, being installed, to which we could anchor a specialised 9 metre, stage track, in black with a foot pulley operation.  We had several on-site visits to make sure the school were happy with the position, as we all wanted it to look as discreet as possible.  Previously the school hadn't had a backdrop, but with a door central to the back of the stage, it was felt the best way to cover this up, would be a pair of backdrop curtains.  These curtains were just as big as the main stage, actually slightly longer, again with a suspended jack chain, but with a pencil pleat heading for simplicity. Although being a backdrop, we used Accolade fabric in Black.  The matt finish on the curtain, was just the job for a backdrop.  The curtains were pulled up on a black FR pencil pleat tape from both ends, to keep the pleats as even as possible.

Static side curtains were also made in the Bilbury fabric, each 3 widths wide, where previously they had been made in black and were too flat, without enough gather.  This gave the stage much more presence and a uniform look throughout the hall, by using the same fabric.

A lot of thought and planning went into this contract job.  This particular job was 9 months in the planning, liasing, designing, manufacturing and installing process. But everyone was pleased with the finished results.