Australia - Exertis ProAV Australia has announced that it has been appointed to distribute the Airtame wireless screen sharing and collaboration platform in Australia and New Zealand.
“Airtame’s wireless screen sharing and Digital Signage platform creates a better environment for learning, sharing and creating together,” Exertis ProAV Australia president & CEO Kevin Kelly says. “The addition of Airtame to our portfolio of offerings means that resellers will have an innovative new communications and collaboration solution to offer their business and education customers.
“Airtame has helped more than 20,000 businesses and schools across the world cut the cables, unlock collaboration and use screens better and our team of sales professionals is going to help many more schools and enterprises do the same.”
Alongside its wireless screen sharing solution - which help schools and businesses increase productivity and engagement in meetings and classrooms - Airtame recently launched Airtame Cloud, which provides customers with one unified platform to remotely manage and monitor their Airtame devices, along with a range of digital signage features.
According to Thomas Ibsen Nielsen, head of sales at Airtame, “We are excited to partner with Exertis ProAV Australia to bring the benefits of Airtame to a large market of corporate and education customers throughout Australia and New Zealand. The Exertis team’s track record of providing their partners with outstanding sales, support and training is going to help us achieve our business dev

UK - Philip French of UK technical production company Peachy Productions has just relocated to Wiltshire after being based in Guildford, Surrey for eight years.
But during the coronavirus crisis, he is making the journey back twice a week to volunteer for the Surrey Drive Campaign.
This is a locally-based crowd-funded initiative that delivers around 2,500 cooked meals - with locally sourced ingredients - each week for hardworking staff at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust hospital.
The Surrey Drive Campaign includes some of Surrey’s live event experts. After seeing heart-breaking stories of exhausted NHS workers finishing their arduous frontline shifts and being unable to buy food at this critical time, Steve Page and Hannah Sheppard thought it was time to step up.
Having furloughed all his staff while the UK continues in a largely restricted lockdown scenario with no live shows and events, Philip volunteered for some Surrey Drive driving / delivery slots and has been part of this operation ever since.
One day whilst dropping off meals at the Surrey Royal he was gazing at the city’s famous cathedral opposite and thought it would be amazing if it were lit up at night to show support for everyone! He thought that this could tie in with the nationwide Clap for Carers action every Thursday evening.
“Worldwide people are sending messages of goodwill and support using the medium of light to everyone battling and dealing with the pandemic,” he commented, “and I thought that this could also happen in Guildford.”
He ap

UK - Record industry charity the BRIT Trust has announced a donation of £30,000 to Music Support, the peer-led music industry charity that provides confidential mental health and addiction services.
The funding will help Music Support at a critical time when many people in the artist and music industry community are in urgent need of its help. It will also go towards Music Support’s ambition of giving 10,000 people access to Thrive, the NHS-approved mental health app.
Matt Thomas, chair of trustees of Music Support, comments: “We are hugely grateful to The BRIT Trust, the BPI and the recorded music sector for their valued support when we are seeing a sharp rise in the number of vulnerable industry peers coming to us for help. Technology has provided a lifeline to many during the of COVID-19 emergency, and this timely funding will enable us to give thousands of people access to the Thrive app so that we can support their well-being and mental health.”
John Craig, chairman The BRIT Trust, adds: “The music ‘family’ can always be relied on to come together to help those in times of great need. The BRIT Trust was primarily founded to promote education and well-being through music, but it also recognises the vital importance of supporting mental health - in particular during this exceptionally challenging time for the artist and music creator community.
“We've supported this great charity since its inception and have a long relationship with Music Support’ and their innovative Thrive app helps to do just that.”

UK - During Mental Health Awareness Week, Unusual Rigging is urging its industry counterparts to consider what mental health in the workplace will look like in a COVID-adapted world.
As the entertainment industry has been knocked sideways by the global crisis, Tom Harper, managing director at Unusual Rigging believes the time is right to tackle the growing problem of work-related mental health problems head-on and to nip it in the bud rather than simply putting a sticky plaster on it.
MD Tom Harper comments: “If ever there was a time for it to be OK to not be OK, it’s now. With the world as we know it turned on its head, those who can put their hands up and say they’re ‘absolutely fine’ are, without doubt superhuman. With lives and livelihoods lost or at least put on hold, this year’s Mental Health Awareness week is really shining the light on the problem – but also on the solution. What can we do to look after our own mental health, but also ensuring the wellbeing of our friends, family and colleagues?"
He continues: “Our business revolves around theatre, museums, live events, sporting events - all of which have been closed until further notice, postponed or cancelled. A number of our staff have been put on furlough while we navigate this tricky period. But they’re still our colleagues and friends and so we embrace the amazing technology that wouldn’t have been accessible a decade or two ago.
“WhatsApp and Microsoft Team meetings are vital to help employees that are on furlough stay in touch with others. We’re also mak

UK - AVIXA has elected Visual Displays founder and displays consultant, Greg Jeffreys, as new chair for its Standards Steering Committee, which advises the main board on issues relating to industry standards.
The Committee will provide recommendations for standards development within the context of AVIXA’s strategic plan, and approve completed standards before they are sent for American National Standards Institute (ANSI) ratification and subsequent publication.
As one of the committee’s founder members, Jeffreys had written the previously published projection best practice paper, in conjunction with international consultants, experts and dnp’s R&D team in Denmark. As a result, the PISCR (Projected Image System Contrast Ratio) standard was amongst the first task groups out of the blocks. He then assumed InfoComm leadership roles in preparation for becoming president in 2012, while continuing to lead the DISCAS (image size) standard group and undertaking other standards writing activities.
Greg reports: “When our first standards were published, we innocently assumed a grateful AV world would beat a path to our door and adopt them enthusiastically. The reality sadly did not match the expectation. At this point the InfoComm/AVIXA leadership stepped in. After producing articles, seminars and creating CTS courses I’m pleased to say the tide has turned and we’re now in a mature phase whereby impactful developments will affect the entire AV ecosystem.”
The refreshed 2020 Standards Committee had been due to meet at AVIXA’s Virgini

South Africa - Carolyn Steyn, South African philanthropist, actress, founder of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day and Classic FM1027 radio host personality, has donated R100,000 (around £4,400) to the Feed Our Crew initiative established to help theatre and entertainment crew and freelancers who most need assistance.
As an accomplished actress, Carolyn was concerned about the welfare of the theatre crew, especially after the lock-down in South Africa was extended. The entertainment business has been one of the hardest hit industries in the country. When Carolyn saw a Facebook post by one of her friends, Debra Batzofin, theatre practitioner in the industry for the past 46 years, it ultimately enabled her to pay it forward.
“Carolyn immediately assisted me, and we were able to feed 50 people,” explains Debra Batzofin. “But when she wanted to donate additional funds, I suggested we approached Duncan Riley of DWR Distribution and the SOS Charity fund to help come up with the best solution.”
Riley advised the monies would make an enormous difference to the Feed our Crew campaign. “Everyone is fighting a financial battle right now, but there are those who are unable to feed their families, and this is where Feed our Crew comes in,” comments Riley. “I was humbled by this act of generosity and believe that if there were more people like Carolyn and Debbie, the world’s problems would be so much less. Thank you so much for this contribution.”
Feed O

UK - Le Mark Group has switched its production focus from its well-known Road Case and Cable Label labels to a new range of tapes and heavy-duty floor stickers aimed at helping shops and places of work adjust to new social distancing requirements brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

UK - Music Support has launched weekly online support group meetings to allow the music industry’s 12 Step recovery community to continue to connect during the Covid-19 lockdown. Meetings will take place every Monday 18:00-19:00 GMT from 27 April to 28 September 2020.
Available to any music industry peers throughout the summer, Music Support will provide a confidential and non-judgemental space for people to share and encourage one another on the journey of recovery.
Music Support Services Officer, Joanne Croxford, states: “It might be that someone is in need of a secure virtual space to share their experiences, while others may want to take part in these meetings simply by listening in and feeling accepted and connected during isolation. Music Support will offer strength and hope as we all navigate our way through these testing times.”
Music Support Managing Director, Eric Mtungwazi, adds: “The 12 Step Support Group Meetings have been a key part of our work backstage at festivals during the typical summer season. This year, as we’re unable to offer this service in-person due to the Covid-19 lockdown - which has resulted in the cancellation of festivals across the UK - we’re delighted to be able to offer support online and keep this community connected.”
To receive personalised login instructions, please email: helpline@musicsupport.org with the subject ‘12 Step Support Group Meetings’. All data remains confidential.

UK - When Projects Department Ltd won the contract to create two live studios and two breaking news spots for the Financial Times TV studio in London, Doughty Engineering was quickly brought on board to supply a range of broadcast kit.
Peter Daffarn, managing director, Projects Department Ltd explains: "The client briefed us to create the studios and news spots for presenting live news bulletins at short notice and for occasional use and, with Doughty being our go-to company for hoists and grids, we knew they'd be fundamental to the project from the start."
Building a bulletin studio meant that Projects Department Ltd had a smaller than usual space to work with, therefore the design and build needed to be imaginative. The studios were required to be integrated into a working office space and, with a number of high-profile guests visiting, the client wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. The lack of height in the studios was a major factor as Daffarn explains: "Due to limited space, Doughty's Dan Phillips and I spent time creating a grid that was both aesthetically pleasing and functionally slimline. Dan has been central to the reason I work a lot with Doughty. I often share early design thoughts with him and we bounce ideas between us as no two studios are ever the same. Once we are on site installing, I know I could call Dan on a Sunday and he would try his best to help."
Doughty and Projects Department Ltd designed and installed the ‘Flat Grid’ which was first used at the Tate Modern and was essential to the clean look

UK - In a bid to iron out inconsistencies in the financial help offered to the UK’s smallest businesses, chancellor Rishi Sunk has introduced 100% taxpayer-backed loans for small firms.
The Bounce Back Loans scheme, launching on 4 May, is a response to the slow take-up of emergency bank lending during the COVID-19 crisis, which has meant businesses could fold before getting loans.
The scheme will require filling in a two-page self-certification form online and will unlock loans of up to £50,000 “within days of applying”.
The government will guarantee 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months.
To be eligible, a business:
- must be based in the UK
- must have been negatively affected by the coronavirus crisis
- was not an ‘undertaking in difficulty’ on 31 December 2019
Loan terms will be up to six years, with no repayments due during the first 12 months.
The government will work with lenders to agree a low rate of interest for the remaining period of the loan. The scheme will be delivered through a network of accredited lenders.
Businesses cannot apply if they are already claiming under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), but it’s possible to transfer a CBILS loan into the Bounce Back Loan scheme until 4 November.

UK - PASMA’s new Safety Practitioner Zone and its partnerships with the Association for Project Safety, British Safety Council, IIRSM and RoSPA aim to help workers stay safe on scaffold towers.
From 1 May 2020, members of these associations get access to a library of PASMA resources for updating their tower knowledge and sharing good practice. The library includes toolbox talks, tower reference guides, bitesize safety videos and details of upcoming changes to EN 1004, the design standard for mobile access towers.
In the lead-up to launch, PASMA is celebrating by releasing a series of Toolbox Talks on social media, freely available to anyone who wants them. These one-page documents contain the content needed to deliver a safety briefing on five tower-related topics, reinforcing key messages that are taught on PASMA training courses: Monday: Never stand on an unprotected platform; Tuesday: Using scaffold towers in windy conditions; Wednesday: How to safely move a mobile access tower; Thursday: No instruction manual means no scaffold tower, and Friday: Inspecting scaffold towers.
A new Toolbox Talk will be released at 11am each day this week (on PASMA’s Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages. Each one will be available for only 24 hours. After the time is up, the series, along other material, will be available in the Safety Practitioner Zone.
Jason Carlton, head of strategic engagement at PASMA, states, "We’re delighted to have partnered with leading safety associations on this initiative becau

USA - The Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative has launched Be Scene - Be Heard, an anonymous, peer-to-peer chat app for backstage staff.
“It’s often hard to talk with family and friends about how you’re feeling and what may be troubling you, but you may not feel quite ready to see a mental health professional,” says the charity. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk to people who don’t know you, but who can relate because they’re in this industry too. They get the crazy hours, the pressures of getting the show on every night or the right shot on set, and the void felt when the gig is over.
That’s why Behind the Scenes has partnered with iRel8 to launch Be Scene – Be Heard. A platform to interact with your peers, talk about what’s on your mind, find comfort and knowledge from one another, and, perhaps, offer insight to someone who is going through something you already have. Chats are instantly translatable into 54 languages. Be Scene – Be Heard is available “wherever you are, whenever you need it, for whatever is on your mind”.
“Signing up for the app requires an email address and costs $0.99 a month and can be done here: btshelp.org/chat.
Users will find a “room” for general conversation and one for industry resources. As participation grows, sub-groups will be formed for more focussed discussion on topics such as, but not limited to anxiety and depression, sta

Europe - Optocore's AutoRouter has enjoyed a growing popularity in the past 12 months, says the company.
Now Optocore has announced the new OptoSplitter, a device which, when paired with AutoRouter, will achieve redundancy.
Take two identical AutoRouters - a main and backup device. All connections from any external equipment will now connect, not directly to the AutoRouter as previously, but to this new OptoSplitter. This splits the fibre signal into two and distributes it to both the main and backup AutoRouter. Both routers communicate leaving only one active at a time and automatically switching to the backup router when the active one is absent.
“This allows the system to work flawlessly even when one AutoRouter fails or is powered off,” confirms Optocore’s technical sales manager, Maciek Janiszewski. “Despite a bullet-proof design, without a single hardware failure since its launch, some customers have requested hardware redundancy.” And OptoSplitter is the company’s dynamic response to market feedback.
Finally, he adds that since it is a passive device it is not a point of failure. “Each connection splits within the independent optical splitter - the redundancy switchover takes place automatically and independently.”
While OptoSplitter is available as a complete new solution, all customers who already own an AutoRouter or BroaMan Route66 can add redundancy to their existing system.

UK - Fairport Convention’s annual Cropredy Convention in Oxfordshire and The Eden Sessions in Cornwall are the latest major music events to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic. Both are being rescheduled for 2021.
Since its first staging in 1980, the Cropredy festival has taken place annually since on farmland near Banbury, Oxfordshire.
This year’s three-day event had been scheduled to take place on 13-15 August. It will now be staged over 12, 13 and 14 August 2021 (the equivalent weekend) on its usual site.
The line-up of acts will be carried forward: artists booked to appear this year have agreed to switch to 2021. Highlights include Trevor Horn Band, Clannad, Steve Hackett – Genesis Revisited, Richard Thompson, Matthews Southern Comfort and host band Fairport Convention.
Tickets purchased for Cropredy 2020 remain valid for the rescheduled festival and Fairport Convention hopes festival-goers will hang on to their tickets for Cropredy 2021. However, the organisers are offering refunds to those affected by the postponement.
Festival director Gareth Williams said: “We have no alternative but to postpone Cropredy until 2021. The safety of our festival-goers, performers, suppliers, crew and local residents must come first.
“This postponement is a massive financial blow to Fairport Convention. It comes hard on the heels of having to reschedule this year’s Spring Tour. Our many suppliers and crew will also be hit financially (as indeed, will Milly and myself here in the FC office). I will keep the office going on a par

UK - Music Support, the peer-led music industry charity that provides confidential mental health and addiction services, has partnered with Thrive, the UK’s only NHS-approved mental health app.
As a clinically-effective app that offers 24/7 support for mental health and wellbeing, Thrive helps with the early detection, prevention and management of common disorders such as anxiety and depression, as well as building resilience so that users can feel empowered to improve their mental health.
It tackles common stressors such as sleep, bereavement, work issues and more via the use of evidence-based therapies such as CBT, meditation, deep muscle relaxation, breathing exercises and distraction games. A mood metre and diary tracks daily fluctuations of mood and records what specific stressors the individual might be facing on a daily basis, thus becoming more personalised to the user over time.
The app uses official GAD7 and PHQ9 questionnaires to screen for anxiety and depression and uses the results to prescribe the appropriate help.
There are a range of benefits that come with using the app, most importantly it improves overall wellbeing for users both inside and outside of work by building personal awareness and allowing them to nurture their own mental health. This can lead to a culture which normalises mental health, enabling people to feel more comfortable about discussing their own needs as well as being open to the advice they need for finding the right support.   
Eric Mtungwazi, Managing Director Of Music Support, sa

USA - The Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative, in partnership with HelpPRO, has announced the launch of its Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder. The Finder only includes listings for mental health professionals who have previously worked with clients in the entertainment industry or who have personal professional experience in the industry themselves.
Users are able to search for a therapist using a simple search form which includes location, insurance accepted, what areas the therapist specialises in, and therapist availability such as whether they see clients remotely or on nights and weekends. An advanced search is available which also includes such criteria as theoretical approaches, credentials held by the therapist, specific populations they have experience with, and languages spoken. Both searches indicate whether the therapist is accepting new clients.
The Entertainment Industry Therapist Finder has been developed in response to an industry survey conducted last fall. The results revealed just how prevalent the problem of finding therapists who understand something about the unique culture and stresses of the entertainment industry is. Many respondents expressed frustration with therapists who consistently made suggestions that were unrealistic given the long working hours and employment challenges so many in the industry face. 
Therapists with the required experience can register at btshelp.org/therapist_registration or email their contact information to mh@btshelp.org.
Behind the Scenes has come

UK - With UK hospitals warning that personal protective equipment (PPE) is of short supply, technology enthusiasts have started various initiatives to produce the crucial gear and deliver it nationally.
Thousands of volunteers have joined 3D Crowd UK’s initiative to produce PPE. By 10 April, over 6,000 of 3D printer owners from across the UK had created more than 39,000 face shields, which have been dispatched to 90 NHS Trusts.
More funding is needed to meet requests for further 500,000 shields however, with a fundraiser set up on GoFundMe. 
Another fundraiser was started by Duncan Coombe of DCLX at the end of March. Coombe asked for donations in order to purchase 3D printer filament to produce face shields, but in just 24 hours, the fundraiser had collected around £2,500, enabling him and his team of volunteers to expand the operation, which currently comprises 34 3D printers and two laser cutters.
In an update from 11 April, Coombe said: “There is now a team of 14 of us across 10 sites running this kit pretty much 27/4. Literally in bedrooms, kitchens, front rooms, (clean) workshops and so on. The contributions made by the selfless volunteers is breath-taking.” Find out how to get involved or to donate: www.gofundme.com/f/3d-print