From opera and ballet to televised galas and contemporary performances, Place des Arts, Canada’s largest performing arts center, has welcomed renowned productions to its stages for decades. When it came time to modernize its followspot inventory, the venue’s technical leadership knew the replacement would need to meet exceptionally high standards, which they found with the Robert Juliat Arthur LT Long Throw LED Followspot.
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A current Robert Juliat Cyrano followspot user, Place des Arts recently upgraded to the Arthur LT fixtures in two of its busiest venues, marking a significant step in the organization’s ongoing transition toward energy-efficient lighting technologies. The installation includes four Arthur LT units at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, the center’s largest theater, and two units at Théâtre Maisonneuve.
“We have always been a Robert Juliat user,” said Guy Levesque, technical manager for infrastructure and equipment at Place des Arts. “We know the reliability, and we know the products last. The challenge wasn’t finding a brand we trust, it was finding an LED followspot that had the power and quality we require for our venues.”
Responsible for the lighting, audio, video, and stage equipment at Place des Arts’ six performance spaces, Levesque understands the unique demands of venue infrastructure. Followspots are often positioned significant distances from the stages and must deliver consistent performance across a wide variety of productions. Television broadcasts, in particular, impose stringent requirements on brightness, beam quality and consistency.
As a publicly funded cultural institution, environmental responsibility is an increasingly important consideration for Place des Arts. The reduced energy consumption of the Arthur LT aligns with broader organizational objectives while lowering operating costs and helping the organization meet its sustainability goals. Additionally, unlike traditional lamp-based followspots that require periodic lamp replacements, the Arthur LT significantly reduces maintenance requirements and minimizes downtime.
“The move to LED checked every box for us,” said Levesque. “Power consumption, maintenance, light quality, and ease of use all improved. It was the combination of those factors that made the decision straightforward.”
The upgrade also reflects the confidence that Place des Arts has built in Robert Juliat products over the years. While several venues across the complex continue to utilize existing followspots, the success of the Arthur LT installation demonstrates the ways in which modern LED technology can deliver the performance required by demanding professional environments without compromising artistic expectations.
