I'm very surprised at your impression of the RI's Faraday Theatre as a venue for science shows and lecture demonstrations, Richard Ellam.
I've presented in literally hundreds of different venues and the RI is by far the best I've experienced. The acoustics are amazing, the unusual wrap-round demonstration bench is perfect, as is the steeply-raked seating 'wrapped' around the presenter. I've never found another venue that facilitates interaction with such a large audience (approx. 400) so intimately.
All this without considering the awesome historical resonance of this room.
Several modern science centres have performance spaces based on the RI design.
In line with RI tradition, t is a design that focuses attention on real phenomena on the demonstration bench, not just on an arm-waving presenter.
It can be sheer purgatory to attempt practical lecture demonstrations and science shows in many 'modern' lecture theatres, with the back row half a mile away and a layout designed for Powerpoint screens and 'talking heads' with anything below the speaker's waist level obscured by the heads of the people sitting in front.
Isn't this room the living soul of the RI?
Ian Russell
www.interactives.co.uk
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