UK - Unusual Rigging is proud to announce that it is now meeting over 50% of its annual on-site power consumption with renewable energy via a solar PV system.

The 100KW solar PV system is installed on the roof of Unusual's new 1,056 sq m warehouse, which opened in June this year, and was energized on September 3.

Tom Harper, resource and sustainability manager at Unusual Rigging, explained: "This really is the icing on the cake in our drive to become a green business. Over the past few years, we have been implementing the key concepts of a circular economy - ensuring that all materials streams are efficiently managed and recycled, as well as striving to run entirely on the basis of renewable energy, mitigating negative effects on human life or our ecosystem. This implementation of the solar panels is our most recent step and will significantly reduce our annual C02 footpr

UK - Bend it like Beckham the Musical, which opened to rave reviews this summer, is a striking tale of female footballer Jess, based on the 2002 film of the same name. The musical takes the audience on her journey as she struggles with a big decision - live up to her family expectations of university and marriage or chase her dreams and follow in the footsteps of her hero David Beckham.

When production manager Gary Beestone realised the show would throw a number of interesting challenges at him, he asked Unusual Rigging to provide the entire rigging at London's Phoenix Theatre.

"I've worked with Unusual Rigging on a number of projects in both theatre and events and have always had a great working relationship with them. The show required complete rigging solutions for the overhead flying in the Phoenix and also for the set build, and with a variety of challenging flying p

UK - As part of a busy summer, Illuminate Design has recently completed a number of technical upgrades at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley.

Working with the Hawth's technical manager (Quentin Whitaker), Illuminate Design's technical sales manager Ken Berreen and operations director Andrew Wales designed & installed new sound, lighting and rigging solutions for the venue.

Both the studio and the main theatre benefited from new sound equipment. In the Studio Illuminate Design supplied, Yamaha QL1 mixing console with a digital Yamaha RIO3224D I/O rack, RCF C5212-94 2way speaker system, RCF S 8015 II Subwoofer 15" 1000W - Reflex RCF IPS 2700 Class H power amplifiers and RCF IPS 3700 Class H power amplifiers.

The main theatre system was designed in conjunction with Al Brown from Martin Audio. The new system included Martin Audio W8VDQ speakers, MA 3.0 amplifiers, MA 2.0 Amplifiers

UK - Long-time advocate of Martin Audio's signature sound, venue installation specialist Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) has wasted no time in introducing the manufacturer's new CDD range to the leisure hospitality industry.

The company has completed several high profile projects including its first installation for the burgeoning Burger & Lobster bar/restaurant brand. For their sixth venue opening in Bath the operators took over the Grade II*-listed Octagon Chapel - originally built in 1767 but recently restored within the courtyards of the city's new Milsom Place retail and restaurant development.

The new CDD - the successor to Martin Audio's popular AQ architectural range -combines distinctive curved enclosures with Coaxial Differential Dispersion technology to deliver high performance, projecting more output to the rear of the audience to distribute sound evenly front-to-bac

UK - PLASA 2015 opens its doors to the public in under a week, but already the lights are on and burning brightly as the industry's leading brands turn their attention towards this year's event. Robe will once again carry the headline sponsor torch, taking their place alongside more than 70 lighting brands and lighting distributors at London's ExCeL exhibition centre between 4- 6 October.

"The visual spectacle of the PLASA Show in full swing is quite a sight," says Christopher Toulmin, director of PLASA Events. "Just the scale of the light show created by our exhibitors is always something special to see. This year we're looking forward to an even bigger display with many new exciting products for visitors to explore."

As lighting brands and distributors come together at this year's show, many of the larger stand areas feature products from groups of market

USA - Country singer David Nail turned to Nashville-based Cour Design for help in creating the lighting for his I'm a Fire tour, a fully MIDI-triggered lighting rig that uses Elation Professional Cuepix Panel LED matrix blinders as the main lighting element.

Gordon Droitcour, co-founder and designer at Cour Design, knew the singer would be opening for artists in large arenas but also needed a rig that would fit into clubs when David headlined his own show. The rig needed to have the same impact in each venue plus fit in a single trailer.

Looking for a vendor who could supply the gear while providing excellent customer support, Droitcour called on Elite Multimedia, also of Nashville. "We've worked with Elite Multimedia on all our projects because their customer service is excellent," Droitcour says. "They are very good at helping us come up with the best s

USA - Every year ETC invites students with an interest in lighting design and stage technology from around the world to apply for the company's annual LDI Sponsorship as a part of its commitment to nurturing young people looking to launch professional careers in the industry.

Sponsorship recipients - five from North America and two international students - are awarded an all-expense-paid trip to the 2015 LDI tradeshow in Las Vegas, 23-25 October, in addition to receiving exclusive ETC swag, backstage access to ETC's show stand and newest products, and will get to attend a special networking reception with the industry's leading professionals. Each student is also paired with a lighting designer mentor who will offer them guidance and support for one full year in order to help them get their fledgling careers of the ground.

ETC has announced the recipients of the 2015 LDI Stude

UK - The annual West End Heroes show takes place this Sunday at the Dominion Theatre in London. The event unites the country's top military musicians with the biggest stars of the West End in a showcase of show-stopping numbers, choreography and unlikely song mash-ups. The event is held to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity and White Light is once again donating the lighting equipment for this important fundraiser.

Help for Heroes is a charity that provides better facilities for British servicemen and women who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty. The donations it receives are used for individual support, rehabilitation centres and its recovery programmes. David Pearson, general manager of the Dominion Theatre, states, "This is a truly unique event as it brings together the very best in West End entertainment in order to support a great cause. E

Germany - The Frappant, an underground art gallery and artists residence in Hamburg Altona, Germany was the site of a widely acclaimed avant-garde exhibition Der liebe Gott (The Dear God). Among the pieces attracting the most attention during the 10-day event was light artist Boris Frentzel-Beyme's haunting and transcendental work Deus luminogaster which draws on the output of carefully placed Freedom Pars from Chauvet DJ to make its powerful impression.

Although the central object of Frentzel-Beyme's work - an embossed plastic sheet manufactured in East Germany during the days of the GDR - is interesting in and of itself, it's the vibrant colours and punchy light of the Freedom Par RGBAW+UV LED fixtures that endow this piece with a captivating holographic and illusory quality.

Frentzel-Beyme's light art consortium, Lumidium, is no stranger to using light to brin

USA - Bandit Lites has again made a large strategic investment into a wide variety of additional, high demand lighting equipment. This investment was created by a high demand on a repeating basis for all of the products involved. Bandit chair Michael T. Strickland stated, "It seemed that no matter how many of these items we purchased monthly, there was always a demand the next month for even more. To meet the demand we have simply ordered a large quantity of each fixture with the knowledge the demand will be there."

Products in the purchase include Robe 1200 LEDWash, Robe BMFL, GLP X4, GLP X4s, GLP X4 Bar 10, Clay Paky B-Eye K20, Aryton Magicdot-R, Aryton Cosmopix-R, Chauvet Rogue R2 Beam, Chauvet Rogue RH1 Hybrid, Elation Cuepix Panel, Phillips Showline Nitro, Tyler GT Truss, Tyler GT Corners and other Tyler parts. With the massive increase of fixtures, it was only na

UK - dbn Lighting from Manchester returned to the picturesque town of Ramsbottom in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, UK, a deep valley steeped in history nestling amidst the stunning scenery of the west Pennine moors - for the annual Ramsbottom Festival.

The 5000 capacity truly 'boutique' music event is action-packed with fun, adventure, good vibes and great music for all the family. It's the fifth year that dbn has lit the event's main stage in which time the production has grown steadily under the direction of Roy Fernley of ETS, with whom dbn regularly works on other shows in and around Manchester.

dbn's project manager Nick Buckley also created the production design for the main stage which this year included headliners The Wonderstuff, The Magic Numbers, Idlewild and The Proclaimers, together with a host of other performances throughout the three days

USA - The first annual Kaaboo Festival outside San Diego got off to a flying start, drawing huge crowds to see over 100 artists, including rock superstars like Counting Crows, The Killers, No Doubt and the Zac Brown Band on its seven stages.

One of those stages, the Tourmaline, didn't feature the biggest names at the three-day festival. Devoted to emerging artists, it showcased the talents of newcomers like Katastro, David Rosales and The Drowning Men. Although they might not have enjoyed the name recognition of a Sheryl Crow and other Kaaboo stars, these up-and-comers were supported by a lightshow that was every bit as dynamic as anything at the festival, thanks to an all-Chauvet rig put together by LD Matt Collier.

"I wanted to give this stage a big symmetrical look," said Collier. "This was a big moment for the bands and they drew large enthusiastic crowds. T

UK - Since forming in 2007, British band Mumford & Sons has toured the world almost non-stop. Now setting out again to showcase their third album, the band's lighting and production designer, Ed Warren, selected Martin Professional VDO Sceptron 10s and MAC QuantumTM Washes to make their live show even more immersive and experiential.

Warren developed a captivating new design specifically for the new album, Wilder Mind. He immersed himself in Mumford & Sons' music until it resonated in his mind - he even played the band's music while sleeping. "Designing is a very fluid process for me. I don't force it," says Warren. "When I've visualized my first thoughts and I feel like I'm in the right zone, the concept starts to take shape."

In the initial stages, Warren presented his ideas to the band using mood boards. They liked it and when finalized, he submit

UK - University of South Wales (USW) students will be heading to Belgium to represent the UK in a European lighting design competition later this year after winning the UK leg.

David Howard and Samuel Clay, who are both Lighting Design and Technology second year students at USW, won the Hog Factor competition at the recent PRO Performance and Venue Technology Show in Birmingham. Hog Factor is a lighting design and programming competition for HOG4 consoles run by AED Distribution, master distributor for High End Systems in the UK.

The competition is open to students who are currently enrolled in a full-time UK Entertainment technology related education course, or working at the starting level in a UK lighting rental production house.

David and Sam were one of nine teams who had to produce a lighting show to the Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars track, Uptown Funk.

Dav

UK - Buckinghamshire New University Audio and Music Production graduate Alexander Robins has won an award from leading manufacturer Sennheiser for the quality of his work.

Alexander, 21, won the Sennheiser Prize for Best Music Production Recording 2015 from David Brinsden, director operations UK at Sennheiser UK, after graduating from the University, in High Wycombe.

Sennheiser recognises what it considers to be the best sound design work produced by Bucks New University graduates this year.

Alexander won £1,500 worth of Sennheiser equipment. He said, "It feels great to know that the productions that I've worked on over the last year have been reviewed by industry professionals. I have learnt how to produce better sounding audio and asses my skills in sound design and recording, To be told that my work is of an outstanding and professional standard is a huge boost

Spain - The stunning Terraza Kopa in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria recently installed a D.A.S. professional sound system. This modern venue, located on the ground floor of El Muelle shopping centre just steps from the Muelle de Santa Catalina cruise dock, boasts unbeatable views and a one-of-a-kind atmosphere. Décor, delicious cocktails and excellent music combine to make Terraza Kopa one of the top spots for a night out in the capital of Gran Canaria.

Outfitting the venue with clear yet robust sound was no small undertaking, requiring a system that could handle spaces designed for sipping on a cocktail and chatting with friends and others created for electrifying live performances. The owners called in local sound company Canarias Hipermusic to provide a comprehensive solution to the different needs of the Terraza Kopa, and after analyzing the venue the technicians recommen

Finland - EM Acoustics reports that their Danish distribution partner, Alfa Audio, has expanded distribution into Finland. Juha Tamminen has been appointed to represent the brand exclusively throughout both territories.

Alfa Audio has been distributing EM Acoustics in Denmark since 2009. According to EM Acoustics' Mike Wheeler, the relationship has been a successful one. "Alfa Audio is probably the most successful pro audio distributor in Denmark with an impressive roster of brands. They have a pro-active approach to the market which matches our own philosophy perfectly, and they have done a good job for us in Denmark. I'm delighted that they are now going to be able to expand their activities into Finland now that Juha Tamminen is back in the saddle.

"Juha has in fact played a key role in the EM Acoustics/Alfa Audio relationship as it was he who introduced us to Alf

South Africa - A great time was had by all visitors to The Witness Hilton Arts Festival in KwaZulu Natal this year including a new visitor, the MA Lighting Dot 2, reports Dave Whitehouse from DWR Distribution.

With shows ranging from Watershed Live to the Baxter Theatre's production of Blue/Orange it was always going to be a challenge for the festival technical director, Michael Broderick, to supply the right equipment for such a diverse programme of events.

He appointed Durban based Black Coffee, headed by the irrepressible Brandon Bunyan, to take care of all the technical requirements. Add to this some top-notch freelancers, many of whom have been working at the festival for many years, and you have the smoothest running arts festival around.

Despite the very wet weather, usually a power nightmare for technicians, the festival ran without a mishap.

This all

South Korea - "The cost always has to be one of the decisive factors when one is contemplating a sound system installation," opens Jung Hawon, one of the elders in the Apgujung Kwanglim Church in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea and chairman of the broadcasting department. "The opportunity to use the brand new specialized installation amplifiers, the 10D and the 30D, from d&b audiotechnik meant that the savings, when compared to other quotations, were more than persuasive."

That said, Hawon was very thorough when determining which system demonstration met with his congregation's approval. A group from the eighty thousand strong global worshippers were provided with a form of grading sheets so they could rate the three systems vying for the contract. The d&b V-Series system, augmented by some E8 loudspeakers and driven by the newly developed 30D and 10D amplifiers

UK / USA - To allow PLASA to refocus and concentrate on the needs of their respective membership bases, the PLASA Governing Body announces that PLASA's North American and European Union Regional Boards will end their cooperation agreement and return to functioning as separate associations.

A statement from PLASA reads: "This move will allow the associations to set strategic direction to meet their individual demands. It affords more focus of resources in each market toward the activities that are most relevant and pertinent to members and it will allow for more agility and decisiveness.

This in turn will foster the health of both organisations and protect their futures. As we did prior to the start of the cooperation agreement, the two associations will continue to work cooperatively on issues of common interest for the benefit of their members and the industry."

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USA - Fans of MCA Nashville recording artist Gary Allan have long been losing themselves inside his soulful, country music throughout his almost 20-year recording history. So when Allan set out on his latest nationwide tour, the production team wanted to make sure that the show behind the music matched the emotion onstage. To help make this vision a reality, lighting director and production manager Brandon Quisberg went back to trusted tour provider Elite Multimedia.

"This is my second year with the tour and this year we really wanted to move the audience with the music," began Quisberg. "While we wanted really big moments, we also wanted intimate and theatrical moments as well, and we needed the lighting to be a direct reflection of the emotion inside the lyrics to draw the audience in. Working with Elite Multimedia, they really listened to what we were trying to

UK - South London-based live event and technical solutions specialist PR Live has invested in its own LED screen surface, with an initial purchase of 120 panels of Absen A3 Pro 3.9mm pitch high definition product, complete with all necessary processing and rigging.

This is the first of a series of planned LED screen purchases which will expand the company's substantial video department which also currently features Christie high powered projectors, High end video switchers, processing and a selection of media servers.

PR Live's Justin Hammond comments, "LED screens are becoming increasingly prominent in the shows and events for which we design and supply equipment, so we are expanding the department. We wanted a premium multi-purpose product particularly to service our high-end corporate work ... and that was also ideal for our general music and live event based work.&quo

The Netherlands - Stagelight is a successful Dutch hire and events production company that has been consistently dominant in the corporate events market for many years. More recently, the company has been expanding and aiming for an equally strong share of the public events and tour sound sectors. Part of this strategy has been investment in high-end, flexible technology, both in sound and in lighting. This includes the recent purchase of four SSL Live consoles - three SSL Live L500 consoles and one SSL Live L300 console - from Audio Electronics Mattijsen (AEM).

Jacco van der Heijden, managing director of Stagelight said, "For us, SSL complemented our own strategy of always delivering to the highest possible standards: A global reputation for excellence, teamwork, and reliability are key to Stagelight operations. We had to find a brand that would fit with our high-quality i

UK - Fifteen special theatre industry events take place on The Theatres Trust's TheatreStage at PLASA Show 2015 from Sunday 4 to Tuesday 6 October at ExCel London.

The TheatreStage plays host to key organisations and associations in the theatre sector announcing their latest activities, making presentations and giving awards, including the Association of Lighting Designer's Michael Northen Award on Monday 5 October at 1.30pm.

The programme includes 15 presentations over three days from the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), Association of Lighting Designers (ALD), Backstage Heritage Collection, Behind the Scenes UK, Production Managers' Forum, Society of Theatre Consultants, The Theatrical Guild, and ourselves, The Theatres Trust, the National Advisory Public Body for Theatres.

We're delighted that many academic institutions are also part of the line-up on th

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