The Institutional Persona: When Theatres Become Personas and the Case of Bristol Old Vic

This article proposes a definition and terminology for identifying and analysing a concept of institutional persona in relation to theatre. The essay posits the theatre institution as an example of a ‘composite persona’, whereby cultural value is produced through the interplay between theatre as building, theatre as organisation, and theatre as event. Using the case-study of Bristol Old Vic, I examine how executives and practitioners involved in a specific historic theatre ensured its post-war survival in the 1940s by connecting the prestigious heritage of a local landmark with the national reputation of two London-based organisations. I suggest that theatre institutions offer a particularly rich investigative ground for the application of persona study theory in their need to mobilise individual and organisational personas for the purposes of reinventing a ‘good story’ and brand over time

Analysis of circular section blade profiles in a simple peripheral drag VAWT: design investigations and performance modelling

Global demand for off grid power generation in remote and rural locations and in low socio-economic communities has renewed interest in the use of hybrid Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs). This type of wind turbine is more easily manufactured using simple construction techniques and materials than other wind turbine designs. They are also able to produce useable power at lower wind speeds. The use of a simple numerical modelling tool to predict the behaviour of novel hybrid Savonius and Simple Peripheral Drag (SPD) turbines would allow analysis of the performance of designs prior to construction. This would allow tailoring of a turbine design to specific local operating conditions. To enable this, investigations were undertaken to ascertain the usefulness of CFD in data generation of SPD blade performance data using ANSYS software, correlated with wind tunnel experiments. This data was then used in a MATLAB simulation script to predict the behaviour of numerically modelled turbines using a range of variables. While useful in showing the characteristics of flow around individual SPD blades, the CFD data generated did not reflect the wind tunnel results accurately, and the wind tunnel data was used for numerical modelling in its place. The quasi-static numerical model created in MATLAB showed that increasing turbine radius increased acceleration but reduced maximum velocity. Additionally it was seen that 180° arc angle SPD blades gave better acceleration and maximum at lower wind speeds but with lower maximum velocity at higher wind speeds. However no wind tunnel correlations were undertaken and the accuracy of the model was unable to be determined. It is suggested, however, that due to the complex nature of turbulent flow around the turbine blades, the quasi-static modelling approach may have limited applicability. Further research into modelling methods may be required before reliable predictions of performance can be made

Dissatisfied Ghosts: Theatre spectatorship and the production of cultural value

This paper charts an investigation into how creative and dialogic research methods can enhance understanding of what audiences make of the experience of watching theatre. It does so by drawing upon two connected research projects. In The Spirit of Theatre, a study conducted with the Library Theatre Company in Manchester, we piloted creative techniques; lessons learned in this project indicated important questions for the larger Theatre Spectatorship and Value Attribution study. The British Theatre Consortium of writers and researchers worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the New Vic in London, and the Drum in Plymouth to consider audience response to a range of plays, over time. In interviews and workshops we identified and analysed imaginative mechanisms implicated in the formation of cultural value, through networks of association. The methodology re-positions the spectator as a partner in the interpretation of their experience of watching a performance. However, not all respondents value performances on the basis of their imaginative utility, indicating that there are competing models of cultural formation in play amongst the audiences we surveyed