DENIS IRVING AWARD

(Main picture: Kate Kelly and Craig Gamble of Marshall Day Entertech)

Denis Irving who died in February 2008 had a long history in Australian theatre.

This included in 1952 being part of the establishment of Stand Lighting in this country and eventually becoming the company’s Australian CEO, being lighting designer for a number of local and national productions including the early MTC where amongst other productions he designed the lighting for the 1955 premiere of Ray Lawler’s Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, and in 1979 establishing Entertech, a company specialising in the design and specification of theatres, concert halls and other performing arts spaces.

Denis was involved in the design of almost all the major and not so major performing arts centres in Australia and there is no doubt that if you have been to the theatre in this country you have seen some of his work.

He was an inspirational mentor for many in our industry challenging traditional solutions and delighting in looking for a better way, his passion for theatre fuelled his work and his life.

For some years Denis spoke about developing a scholarship to encourage VCA students to study the design and operation of theatres. He believed that as the people who work in the spaces we are often the best placed to advise on how they should be designed.

Following Denis death and as part of his will, Marshall Day Entertech in conjunction with Melbourne Theatre Company provide an award, given annually to further the development of an outstanding graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts.

The recipient of the award is guaranteed, 1 months paid employment with Marshall Day Entertech followed by another paid month with the Melbourne Theatre Company in their production departments.

It is hoped that the recipient of the award uses this time to increase their depth and breadth of knowledge in theatre technology and to further their awareness of theatrical venue design and technical production.

Marshall Day Entertech was created in 2006 with the merger of Denis Irving’s company Entertech with the existing Marshall Day Acoustics practice to form Marshall Day Entertech and we work on the operational design and technical specification of theatres, concert halls and other performance and cultural spaces.

http://entertech.com.au/