Headliners - Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will headline this year's Glastonbury Festival, organisers have announced. It marks the first time in the event's history that female acts have taken two of the three headline slots. Country star Shania Twain will play the coveted ‘legend slot’ on Sunday afternoon. The singer told BBC News she was "over the moon" to be taking part. "Everyone always talks about it being the pinnacle of festival slots," she said. "The only advice everyone gives me is to bring my wellies.”
Other acts on this year's line-up include Afrobeats star Burna Boy, who is taking his first stride onto the Pyramid Stage; and award-winning rapper Little Simz, who will play immediately before Coldplay. Thirteen-piece boyband Seventeen will become the first K-pop group to grace the main stage - an indication of how dominant the genre has become over the last five years.
More traditional Glastonbury acts include Idles, Disclosure and The National - all of whom will headline the Other Stage, the festival's second-biggest arena. Sugababes, who shut down the Avalon field with a reunion performance in 2022, will return - this time on the much bigger West Holts stage. And pop stars Avril Lavigne, Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello will make their Glastonbury debuts.
Vault Closure - Vault Festival will close after failing to secure funding for a much-anticipated new central London home. Vault Creative Arts, the charity behind the festival, said the organisation had secured a "long-term home" close to its previous base in Waterloo - but mone
UK - Thursday 11 July will see Backup Tech’s The Village Fete return to Daytona Sandown Park in Surrey for more fun and frivolity. So, dig out your best tweed and flowery dresses, dust off your cake recipes and get ready to purchase your tickets, which will go on sale at 9am on Monday 25 March for Backup’s Partners and at 9am on Wednesday 27 March for general sale.
“We had such great feedback about last year’s fete that we’re adding more fun and frivolity,” says Backup’s Lee Dennison. “Last year, we changed the whole look and feel of the day to make sure the Village Fete appealed to so many more people outside of the karting.
“This year, we’re building on the success of the fete by adding more fete stalls, a ‘Veg Off’ to complement our very successful ‘Bake Off’, bringing back the Lions Barbers Collective, The Straw Stage for live music and workshops, peasant shooting with laser clay shooting, our brilliant food and craft fest stalls and, of course, Vinnie and his ice creams.”
Adding to the esteemed Parish judging panel this year, Martin Fullard (ex-Conference News editor) has been enlisted to provide a corporate approach to cake eating and will be joining the judging panel alongside LSi’s Claire Beeson, TPi’s Stewart Hume, AAA’s Chris Barrett and PLASA’s Peter Heath. “We realised there were a lot of calories consumed by the judges last year,” Lee notes, “so adding Martin might help spread the load!”
The Backup village Council also wanted to offer something different for companies wanting to atte
Germany - Since 1999, Sommer cable has not only been soldering, but also making contacts. Despite the advancing digitalisation and further development of radio technologies, we still need cables and signal connectors in large quantities, be they analogue or digital. Cables still offer the highest signal transmission quality and data (interception) security.
Sommer Cable GmbH was founded in 1999 by Rainer Blanck and Friedhelm Sommer. Together with friends, cable specialist Pascal Miguet, musicians, sound people, electronic engineers and event specialists, they began to develop cables and connectors which became known for their sound quality and user-friendly design.
Today, Sommer Cable stands as a premier cable manufacturer, offering a comprehensive array of products spanning the audio, video, multimedia, broadcast, and hi-fi sectors.
"The foundation of our solution competence lies in our attitude: the passion for what we do. It's ingrained in every member of our team and evident in every aspect of Sommer Cable", explains Rainer Blanck, CEO and company founder. "How do we do that? By forming a team with our employees and our customers. We turn the talents of our people into those of our company and the requirements of our customers into our own. This approach sets us apart in today's industry landscape. And that's what makes us different."
With this ethos, customer-centric approach, and expert guidance, Sommer cable today inspires customers worldwide, spanning the professional audio sector including architects, planners, studio, media, event te
Capital News - London has topped a ranking of Europe’s best cities for a second year in a row, with its star spot underpinned by a number one rating for culture. The UK capital pipped Paris to first place on Resonance Consultancy’s list - while Nottingham, currently reeling from council arts cuts, placed 72nd for its "visionary local leadership" and "public spaces".
The 2024 Europe’s Best Cities report ranks the overall performance of metropolitan areas with more than 500,000 residents, according to various different metrics. Ranging from rental prices and cultural attractions to visitor numbers and green space, these metrics are analysed through three key considerations - liability, lovability and prosperity, with London ranking number one for each.
Manchester jumped six places on the 100-strong list, rising to number 27 in part for a "creative rebirth" attributed to arts and culture venues including Factory International, while Edinburgh came in at 29 - with the list claiming "the city’s world-famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe will be bigger than ever in 2024". But it was London that topped all three of the list’s key factors as it ranked first in Europe for cities with the biggest international traveller spend in 2022, worth some €14.88 billion.
Vinyl Revival - The number of independent record shops in the UK is at a 10-year high, according to an industry group. The digital entertainment and retail association (ERA) said there are now 461 indie record shops in the UK - 122 more than 10 years ago. By contrast, the number of shops
On The Campaign Trail - The estate of Sinéad O'Connor has asked Donald Trump to stop using her music at his political rallies. Last month, Trump played O'Connor's best-known song Nothing Compares 2 U at a campaign event in Maryland. The singer's estate told BBC News it was "no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted" by his use of her music.
A joint statement from O'Connor's estate and her longtime label Chrysalis Records said: "Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O'Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards her fellow human beings. It was with outrage therefore that we learned that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of Nothing Compares 2 U at his political rallies.
"It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a 'biblical devil'."
Prize Draw - Glastonbury Festival has opened a ticket prize draw to raise money for charities supporting people affected by conflict. The prize draw comes after tickets for the Somerset festival sold out within an hour of being released in November. Twenty tickets are up for grabs and the prize draw is open until 12:00 on 28 March. Organisers say the money raised will be donated to the British Red Cross, Oxfam and War Child.
MTV Manchester - Manchester's new arena has been chosen as the venue for this year's MTV Europe Music Awards (
UK - On Friday, 8 March 2024, Adlib is hosting an open day in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The open day is tailored for young women who are navigating their professional development journey. This year's theme, Inspire Inclusion, aims to provide insight into our industry through the perspectives and achievements of women already established within it.
The day will feature short film screenings and women-led panel discussions, in a relaxed and inclusive setting. Adlib’s experienced female staff members will be available throughout the event to engage in conversations and share their personal stories from the live events industry. Additionally, there will be practical equipment demonstrations led by Adlib engineers to highlight the available technology.
The event will follow a ‘trade show’ format, allowing attendees to come and go as they please.
The event takes place at Adlib House, Kitling Road, Knowsley Business Park, L34 9JS, running from 10.30am - 4.00pm. Attendance is free, booking is available through ShannonSmith@adlib.co.uk.
USA - EAW has welcomed Robert Scovill to the position of senior live sound market manager.
Scovill’s new role will be to work tightly with existing teams on product definition and positioning, in-person demos and trainings, as well as providing thought leadership. This will include refining and shaping all public-facing communication. These duties will include assisting with written product descriptions, as well as the listening and voicing of new and existing production-level audio systems. Scovill will drive the creation of educational how-to pieces on industry topics such as tuning and deploying large-scale ADAPTive systems, passive and active articulated systems and subwoofer arrays.
“We are excited to welcome Robert to the team - he brings decades of pro audio and live sound expertise to EAW and further demonstrates our commitment to being a leading loudspeaker manufacturer in the industry,” explains T.J. Smith, president of EAW. “From driving strategy and tactical development to helping define and finalise products with an end user perspective, Robert will take on a multi-tiered role.”
Audio engineer Scovill has mixed for over 4,000 live events. He is widely regarded as a pioneer of virtual sound check and live multi-track workflows and over his 40-plus years in the industry, Scovill has touched nearly every facet of the music production industry from recording studio, record label, live concert and broadcast.
Scovill continues to contribute to the live sound and pro audio market through his educational efforts, which include
USA - After nearly 45 years of landmark project deliveries and designs, Michael Nishball, principal equipment designer at Theatre Projects, is retiring at the end of this month. As a company emeritus, Michael will continue to offer his expertise as an international leader in stage machinery and will act as a sounding board on major projects and the continued expansion of Theatre Projects.
“‘Departing,’ ‘leaving,’ ‘ceasing,’ ‘re-careering,’ ‘transitioning,’ ‘bowing out’... anything but ‘retiring,’” shares Michael. “My confidence in being a stage equipment designer and theatre technical planner emerged directly from my youth spent as a rigging installer and contractor.
“I often say that we are in the construction industry and the skills required to make a contribution to the project should be informed as much from how it gets built as how it functions theatrically. Be a stagehand, be a designer, be an artist in the theatre, but be a builder, an observer of everything that has gone before you- then copy the best parts and improve it for the users.
“Some of my most enriching times with TP have been actively touring theatres. I was granted the opportunity early in my career to make what I called my ‘Grand Tour’ of important projects in the US and Canada to see and understand firsthand the scale of the overstage and understage machines and accommodation. TP has also been wise enough to get the entire office out to see projects as part of the PACrawl initiative, which is so instructive.
“I am grateful fo
Budget Cuts - Birmingham City Council will make cuts to all funding for culture projects and local-arts development, with Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Birmingham Royal Ballet facing a 100% reduction to their support in the next financial year. Europe’s largest local authority has taken drastic measures to tackle a £300m budget shortfall over the next two years, including ending its £350,000 funding to Birmingham International Dance Festival.
Grants to organisations in receipt of regular funding will be hit with 50% cuts this year and 100% from the 2025/26 financial year, with those impacted including Birmingham Opera Company, dance development organisation FABRIC and B:Music - home to the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and operator of Symphony Hall.
Planning News - A film studio plans to invest millions of pounds in local infrastructure in a bid to receive planning permission from the local authority. Buckinghamshire Council could not reach a decision on Marlow Film Studios' plans for Marlow quarry in October. Councillors deferred the decision to further consider issues related to the green belt and local highways. The studio's updated plans revealed over £20m will be invested in roads and other public infrastructure.
Robert Laycock, CEO of Marlow Film Studios said: "These improvements to the roads and bus services in South Bucks are only a part of the major benefits unlocked by the studios for the local area, its residents and its economy." The campaign group Save Marlow's Greenbelt said: "There is nothing in the amended planning doc
Australia - Creative Technology Australia and New Zealand opted for Data Strategy’s QC-Check to address three main needs in terms of product inspection: socapex cable testing, the safe inspection of twin-frame distribution boards, and the ability to set up the specific testing processes needed to be carried out by anyone in the warehouse.
Maintenance manager, Myles Barlow, explained that the company’s highest priority was to be able to test multipin connectors such as Socapex three-phase cables, as “there’s just no safe way to test them”.
In addition, he found that “standard PAT testers fail products that have lots of internal relay, control voltages and several limit points. They see it as a dead short when there’s actually not a problem”. So without, QC-Check there was no effective way of PAT testing products like twin-frame distribution boards or other items with ‘smarts’ in them.
Custom engineered by SES Entertainment services in the UK, Creative Technology’s QC-Check workstation was custom designed to test the various types of connectors used by the Australian production house on a day-to-day basis. The main body of QC-Check housed the larger connectors, whilst the smaller and more regularly tested connectors were situated on the workstation bridge.
Alongside industry standard connectors like tru-con, neutrik and powercon connections, Creative Technology’s two-bay QC-Check featured standard Australian 240volt sockets, and 32 amp three-phase test connections specific to Australia, known as ‘Wilco’s’.
QC-
Size Matters - The UK's largest indoor arena will open its doors for the first time with a headline act performed by Peter Kay. The Bolton comedian will perform at the opening night of the new 23,500-seater Co-op Live venue in Manchester on 23 April. Liam Gallagher, Take That, Pearl Jam and Olivia Rodrigo are also set to separately perform at the £350m arena.
Co-op general manager Gary Roden said Kay was the "perfect" opening act who "embodies what this city is about". The new venue, set to open opposite Manchester City's Etihad stadium, features a "unique bowl design" that would bring fans "closer to the artist than at other arenas of equivalent size", a spokesman for the Co-op said. The arena is set to surpass the Manchester Arena and O2 Arena in size to become the UK's largest indoor arena.
Get Back - Sir Paul McCartney has been reunited with the bass guitar he used on Beatles hits including Love Me Do and She Loves You, 51 years after it was stolen from the back of a van in London. The Höfner bass was found in a family's attic in Sussex thanks to a search by a project called the Lost Bass.
A spokesperson for the former Beatle said he was "incredibly grateful" for its return. Following an appeal for information by the Lost Bass search project, a family living in a terraced house in Sussex contacted the team remembering they had an old bass guitar in their attic.
On the Road - Chicago will embark on a UK tour in the autumn this year, visiting locations including the Theatre Royal Newcastle and Manc
Global Icon - Kylie Minogue is set to receive a Brits global icon award at this year's ceremony. Taking place on 2 March, it will recognise Kylie's career over five decades. She is also nominated for international artist of the year alongside Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Lana Del Rey. Kylie has also been confirmed to perform on the night and will join the already-announced Dua Lipa and Raye on stage.
Speaking about the announcement, Kylie said: "I am beyond thrilled to be honoured with the global icon award and to be joining a roll call of such incredible artists. The UK has always been a home from home so the Brits have a very special place in my heart. I have some amazing memories from the awards over the years and I can't wait to be back on the Brits stage."
The Brits icon award is the highest accolade given by the award organisers and is "reserved for truly exceptional artists". In 2021, Taylor Swift became the first woman to win the prestigious award. Previous winners include Sir Elton John, David Bowie and Robbie Williams.
Half-Time Show - Usher delivered a hit-heavy half-time show at Sunday's Super Bowl - with help from will.i.am, Alicia Keys, Ludacris and a pair of roller skates. A disclaimer shown before the performance jokingly warned viewers it may cause "singing, dancing, sweating, gyrating, and possible relationship issues". It would go on to deliver on all fronts.
Dressed in all-white and surrounded by a swarm of energetic dancers, Usher emerged on the stage at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and launched straight i
UK - The 2023 ABTT Virtual Ideas Platform winner was revealed on Thursday 1 February in a ceremony at the annual ALPD and White Light New Technology Showcase in the Embassy Theatre at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
This annual industry event features the latest in lighting technology and felt like an appropriate opportunity to speak on the Virtual Ideas Platform and its winner, whose innovative idea is now being developed by Triple E.
Presented by ABTT co-chair Mig Burgess and introduced by platform developer Charles Haines, David Ripley was awarded the ABTT Hook Clamp Award and Certificate for his winning idea, The Counterweight Caddy.
The Counterweight Caddy is a method of storing weights and addressing the manual handling issues associated with work on the loading gallery.
Speaking of his award win, Central’s Head of Technical and Production David Ripley said: “It’s very exciting to see something go from a random thought, into reality via the ABTT Virtual Idea Platform and now being developed by Triple E. We hope The Counterweight Caddy will make a positive improvement to Health and Safety on the loading galleries of our theatres when it is fully launched, but we need the industry feedback to make it the best product it can be.”
ABTT VIP concept developer and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, head of performance venues, Charles Haines, commented, “A few years ago, during a trip to the excellent USITT (US Institute of Theatre Technology) trade show, I saw their Innovations Gallery in operation and fell
UK - LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment) has partnered with Handle Freelance Solutions, The Back Lounge and UK LIVE Event Freelancers Forum to launch a survey, The Hidden Side of Freelancing 2024, to understand and identify the changes required to improve the experience of freelancers who are crucial to the success of the live music industry.
The new survey will explore pay transparency and the personal experiences of freelancers at live music events. It aims to help freelancers understand their true value and benchmark their own experience whilst also celebrating what makes live music a great industry for freelancers. The results will then be assessed, culminating in a publicly available report that will be published in April 2024.
Industry organisations such as Entourage Pro, Production Futures, NOWIE, Rego, and Power of Events are all key supporting partners of the survey.
Jon Collins, CEO, LIVE, said: “Freelancers are crucial to the success of the live music ecosystem and our industry relies on them to deliver unforgettable experiences for fans. This survey will give freelancers in our industry the information needed to get the most out of the work they do and help to deliver impact change for every freelancer and the organisations that rely on freelance talent.”
Suzi Green, tour manager and manager of the Back Lounge said: “We were hearing on The Basck Lounge that new people coming into the industry had no idea what to charge, and more seasoned crew were unsure given how much things have changed post-pandemic
Germany Calling - Adele has announced four concerts in a specially-built stadium in Munich this summer - an idea she described as "a bit random, but still fabulous!" The shows will take place in an 80,000-capacity open-air venue in the German city on 2, 3, 9 and 10 August. It will be the first time the singer has performed in mainland Europe since her last tour in 2016.
She said she hadn't been planning any more shows after her current Las Vegas residency and two London shows in 2022. But the star said she had been tempted by the offer of "a one off, bespoke pop-up stadium designed around whatever show I want to put on", which was "pretty much slap bang in the middle of Europe".
Grammy Awards - Taylor Swift stole the show at this year's Grammy Awards, becoming the first performer to win the prize for album of the year four times. The superstar had previously been tied on three best album wins with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra. She received the prize from Celine Dion, who made an unexpected appearance amid health fears. Swift also used the event to reveal a surprise new album. Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish took the other top awards at Sunday's ceremony.
The Los Angeles show was dominated by women, with R&B stars SZA and Victoria Monét and all-female indie supergroup Boygenius picking up multiple awards, and music icons Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell giving rare and poignant performances. Killer Mike was the top male winner, taking three rap trophies. But his success was overshadowed by an apparent altercation backstage, w
UK - Vision: 2025 and Julie’s Bicycle launched a Sustainable Materials and Waste Management Toolkit for Festivals at AIF Congress, Bristol on 1 February.
This new resource condenses years of research around industry practices to give organisers a spread of practical, easy to implement waste management processes, to help improve practices, and encourage re-use of materials and reduce waste.
Chris Johnson, Vision: 2025 chair, unveiled the new, free-to-access toolkit, followed by an in-depth presentation by Julie’s Bicycle project lead, Richard Phillips, and Vision: 2025’s comms manager Bethan Riach. The toolkit, which is part of an ongoing industry project, Towards Zero Waste Festivals, focused on improving waste management practices in the festival sector, funded by the Dixon Foundation.
The AIF Congress audience represented over 80 festivals, with over 500 professionals, gathered together at the refurbished Bristol Beacon to discuss many of the issues, challenges and opportunities they face.
John Rostron, chair of AIF, comments: "The climate emergency is an issue that our membership takes very seriously, and part of our ongoing effort revolves around helping festival promoters make their events more sustainable. We have managed numerous initiatives towards this end, such as our Drastic On Plastic and Take Your Tent Home campaigns. It's great to have Vision: 2025 at Festival Congress this year to speak to festival organisers and offer these tools that will help reduce their carbon footprint."
The toolkit, developed by
UK - PLASA has acquired BPM, the UK’s only dedicated trade event for the DJ sector. The annual show is set to take place at Birmingham’s Cranmore Park from 12-13 October 2024, spanning the mobile, radio, club and karaoke DJ markets. The event offers a unique opportunity for professionals and enthusiasts to get hands-on with pro equipment and discover services available to support a successful DJ career.
The show’s acquisition by PLASA means that BPM will now align with the association’s market-leading trade events for live entertainment technology: PLASA Show and PLASA Focus Leeds. These events span the entire live entertainment technology sector, ranging from pro audio and lighting to AV technology, staging and rigging. PLASA Show has been the UK’s flagship event for over four decades, welcoming 6,500+ visitors and 200+ brands each year. Meanwhile PLASA Focus Leeds welcomes 2,000+ visitors and 150+ brands, with a reputation as the industry’s favourite - and most friendly - trade event.
With this experience and success, PLASA is strategically positioned to strengthen the BPM show in alignment with the growing DJ sector. Currently, BPM welcomes 40 exhibitors and 2,000 visitors. However, the PLASA team intends to work to expand the show floor and bring even more visitors to the event.
In addition to internationally significant trade events, PLASA serves the industry as an association, offering business support and technical guidance. Many BPM exhibitors are already PLASA members, which means that PLASA can now support its members’ business
Spain - #WeMakeEvents BikeFest returned to Spain with the 18-strong team cycling over 360km towards ISE in Barcelona. Together, they have so far has raised £16,000 for industry charity Backup Tech but are hoping to reach £20,000 with your donations.
This year, the BikeFest team included representatives from AELTC, Autograph Sound, AVIXA, Clair Global, Equipson, FLUX Creative Consultancy, PLASA, Reclaim Audio, Sharp, Stage One Creative Services, and Wonder Works. Furthermore, due to the strong community element of the event, BikeFest is now seeing familiar faces returning each year, including Backup Tech chair Piers Shepperd who was cycling for the second year running.
Starting in Valencia, the team cycled along the Mediterranean coast, stopping off in Valencia, Peñíscola and Tarragona. On day three, the exhausted riders finally arrived at Fira de Barcelona ready for the ISE trade show where they were presented with medals and certificates.
The buzzing ISE trade show reminded the team of how resilient the live events industry is, especially when compared to the empty venue at the end of the 2022 BikeFest ride. However, the pandemic has left a legacy of challenges, including mental health and wellbeing, which are being addressed by industry organisations such as Backup Tech.
Backup offer grants during times of ill health to cover essential living costs and medical bills; wellbeing support including Mental Health First Aider training and a free 24/7 helpline; and a hardship fund for those most in need. With the funds raised from BikeFest,
Grammy Debut - Joni Mitchell will make her Grammy Awards performance debut at this year's show on 4 February. The singer-songwriter is nominated for best folk album. She has previously won nine Grammys and received a lifetime achievement award in 2002. The 80-year-old only recently returned to performing after suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 2015. In June, she played her first headline show in more than 20 years after she re-learnt how to walk, talk and play guitar. Billed as a ‘Joni Jam’, Mitchell performed for nearly three hours and was accompanied by famous admirers like Annie Lennox, Marcus Mumford and Brandi Carlile.
In 2002, when collecting her lifetime award at the Grammys, she was described as "one of the most important female recording artists of the rock era" and "a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity." Over the years she has been nominated for 18 Grammy awards.
Here & Now - A musical featuring the music of pop group Steps will open later this year. Called Here & Now, it will run at the Alexandra in Birmingham from 9-24 November. It has a book by Shaun Kitchener and is being directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Matt Cole and sound design by Adam Fisher. It is produced by the band and ROYO with Pete Waterman.
Steps, comprising Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins’, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee, said: “We’ve searched for the perfect story for our music and we’ve found it in the aisle of a seaside superstore, where fo
UK - LIVE has partnered with Handle Freelance Solutions, The Back Lounge and UK LIVE Event Freelancers Forum to launch a survey, The Hidden Side of Freelancing 2024, to understand and identify the changes required to improve the experience of freelancers who are crucial to the success of the live music industry.
Launched this week, the new survey will explore pay transparency and the personal experiences of freelancers at live music events. The survey aims to help freelancers understand their true value and benchmark their own experience whilst also celebrating what makes live music a great industry for freelancers. The results will then be assessed, culminating in a publicly available report that will be published in April 2024.
Industry organisations such as Entourage Pro, Production Futures, NOWIE, Rego, and Power of Events are all key supporting partners of the survey.
Jon Collins, CEO, LIVE, said: “Freelancers are crucial to the success of the live music ecosystem and our industry relies on them to deliver unforgettable experiences for fans. This survey will give freelancers in our industry the information needed to get the most out of the work they do and help to deliver impact change for every freelancer and the organisations that rely on freelance talent.”
Suzi Green, tour manager and manager of the Back Lounge, said: “We were hearing on The Back Lounge that new people coming into the industry had no idea what to charge, and more seasoned crew were unsure given how much things have changed post-pandemic. Last summer rates
UK - Production Futures reports that it has been chosen as a partner for the BBC’s Bring the Drama Festival. This initiative sees the BBC joining forces with some of the UK’s leading cultural organisations to create the first festival of its kind, aimed at bringing together stage and screen and opening up the doors to the next generation of behind-the-scenes talent.
The BBC is supporting the UK’s world-beating creative industries by trying to ensure that the brightest and best people want to work in theatre, film and TV, and helping them to identify where the opportunities lie. This mission aligns with Production Futures’ aim to create opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop real careers in production across every area of the live event, music, touring, theatre, TV, broadcast and film industries.
Just as is the case for Production Futures, the BTD initiative seeks to address a skills gap in the industry and widen access for ‘hard to reach’ groups.
Production Futures chief executive Hannah Eakins comments: “For the BBC to raise the profile of initiatives like ours means this will raise the profile for training and work opportunities into the production industry which has always been our mission. We are excited to have been chosen to participate in this incredible campaign, highlighting all of the opportunities available to young people behind the screen and stage production during the BTD Festival."
Mobo Awards - Sheffield will host a "dynamic series of events" to celebrate the Mobo Awards coming to the city for the first time. Mobo Awards Sheffield - The Fringe will take place ahead of the awards show on 7 February at the Utilita Arena. It will feature workshops and a market to shine a light on the city's African and Caribbean communities, organisers said.
Sheffield city councillor Martin Smith said the festival would be "an unforgettable experience". He added: "It will see the city embrace both the beats and flavours of Africa and the Caribbean and is a testament to the power of the music and culture on offer in our city. Mobo Awards Sheffield - The Fringe is going to be an unforgettable experience for Sheffield and our communities, and I hope everyone is able to get involved and enjoy what's on offer."
Frozen Out - Disney’s Frozen will complete its West End run at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in September. Produced by Disney Theatrical Group, it will close on 8 September, after three years in the West End. Director Michael Grandage said: “It has been a joy to be part of the Frozen journey in London. Working with the team at Disney, the brilliant creative team, and the incredible cast have made this one of my happiest theatre experiences.”
Frozen opened in the UK on the heels of the pandemic, and it was glorious to welcome back audiences, many of whom were coming to the theatre for the first time. To introduce so many to the power of theatre and hopefully cultivate a life-long love for it, has been an immens
USA - The recently launched music community platform We Are Giant has announced the addition of live music and entertainment executive David Rappaport to its board of directors. The chief operating officer of global touring at AEG Presents will serve as a strategic advisor to We Are Giant founding CEO Andy Apple and his executive leadership team.
Rappaport is an industry professional who brings a deep tenure of experience across live entertainment and artist relations. Before joining AEG Presents, Rappaport also served as head of artist relations (Americas) at YouTube Music / Google, where he spearheaded new education and strategy initiatives geared towards artists, management companies, and agencies.
“David’s leadership and many years of experience executing deals - in addition to building deep relationships across genres - will contribute to our success as we continue to advance the music industry," said Andy Apple. “In addition to being widely respected as one of the industry’s top executives, his passion will be a catalyst for We Are Giant to create more value for artists and their communities. Gaining David’s support as our early stage board member and strategic advisor is invaluable as we embark on our next phase of growth.”
“I’m passionate about breaking down the traditional walls that have prevented artists from reaching fans and creating community. I strongly believe that We Are Giant is the solution the industry has been waiting for to turn music conversation into connection and I'm incredibly proud to be on the board at
UK - The theatre industry is mourning the loss of Martin McCallum (6 April 1950 - 14 January 2024), FRSA, who passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on 14 January. Former president of the Society of London Theatre and advisor to the Arts Council, McCallum was a pioneering British theatrical producer who left a long-lasting mark on the world of theatre. With a career spanning over 500 shows, McCallum’s contributions to the theatre sector were ground-breaking and transformative.
Starting his career as an assistant stage manager at the Castle Theatre in Farnham, under the mentorship of Laurence Olivier at the Old Vic, Martin became a production manager for the National Theatre of Great Britain. His contributions were instrumental in the National’s move to London’s South Bank, where he managed notable productions such as Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night featuring Olivier and Constance Cummings.
In 1978, McCallum co-founded the Production Office, the first of its kind in technical and general production management. Through this venture he supervised pioneering shows, including Filumena, Evita, Sweeney Todd and Jesus Christ Superstar.
In 1981 Martin partnered with Cameron Mackintosh, acting as his managing director for 18 years and vice-chairman for three, he oversaw a period of unprecedented growth with acclaimed productions like Cats, Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera, achieving worldwide success.
From 1992 to 2003, McCallum chaired the Donmar War