Business Boost - Liverpool businesses have described "footfall like Christmas" thanks to an estimated influx of 500,000 visitors during Eurovision events in the city. Hotels, restaurants and shops enjoyed a huge boost as Liverpool hosted what city region mayor said was the "most successful Eurovision Song Contest".
Sweden's Loreen won the honours in the grand final on Saturday. But Liverpool is also a winner with up to £250m in economic benefits over the next two years, Steve Rotheram said. Up to 500,000 extra visitors flocked to the city during the EuroFestival between 1-13 May, according to early footfall data and figures from Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Council said.
The city council said Liverpool ONE saw a 32% growth in numbers compared to the same period last year - with some days seeing increases as high as 53% - and more than 500,000 people visiting the shopping centre last week, making it the busiest week of the year so far.
Support Package - Arts Council England has awarded a support package totalling £19m to organisations that received cuts or are no longer part of its 2023-6 national portfolio. The money has been awarded through two programmes, called Transform and Transition, to help organisations respond to changes in the level of investment they are receiving.
Following an application and assessment process, £8.5m has been awarded through the Transform programme, to support 15 organisations that are receiving less funding than they did in the previous national portfolio to develop new business mode
Armed Presence - Drones will be restricted from flying above Liverpool during Eurovision, as police in Merseyside prepare for their biggest ever operation. Merseyside Police said restrictions affecting drones would be in place from 23:00 BST until 14 May, the day after the competition final. A "visible armed presence" was also expected as about 100,000 extra visitors are set to travel to the city.
Liverpool is preparing to host the UK's first Eurovision Song Contest for more than 20 years. Two semi-finals and a final will take place at the M&S Bank Arena between 9 and 13 May. Ch Insp Iain Wyke said: "Our policing plans for the Eurovision Song Contest take land, sea and air into consideration and these airspace restrictions, just like other security measures such as road closures or patrols on the River Mersey, are aimed at keeping people safe."
Short List - The English National Opera has narrowed down its search for a new home to five cities, after being forced to move its headquarters out of London. The opera company has been told by Arts Council England to relocate from the capital or lose its public funding. Birmingham, Bristol, Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Nottingham are on the shortlist.
"All the cities have brilliant stuff going for them," ENO chief executive Stuart Murphy told the BBC. "But there'll be different versions of the ENO depending on which city we go to." In November, the ENO was told to move its HQ from London after the Arts Council was instructed by the government to spread more money beyond the capital.
Training Network - Guildhall School of Music and Drama is to roll-out a national training network in performance and production for children and young people, as it looks to "broaden the country’s talent pipeline". The Guildhall Young Artists network incorporates five existing centres across England, plus an online centre for remote study, and offers a range of one-to-one training, group lessons and holiday courses in both music and drama.
The network includes the Centre for Young Musicians in Waterloo, Junior Guildhall at the Barbican, plus centres in King’s Cross, Norwich and Taunton, with each site run in partnership with local arts venues and education providers.
Signing Off - US rock 'n' roll band Aerosmith have announced a farewell tour to mark more than five decades together. The band, who are now all in their 70s, are well known for hits such as Dream On, Walk This Way and I Don't Want To Miss A Thing. They broke the "earth-shattering" news in a video on Monday, featuring celebrity pals including Sir Ringo Starr, Dolly Parton and Eminem. "It's not goodbye it's peace out!" they declared in a joint statement. "Get ready and walk this way, you're going to get the best show of our lives."
Brixton Petition - A petition to save the O2 Academy Brixton from permanent closure has reached 50,000 signatures. The south London venue had its licence suspended after two people died during a crush outside the building ahead of a gig by Afro-pop singer Asake last year. The petition was set up after the Met Police
Royal Visit - King Charles III will officially turn the lights on to reveal what the Eurovision Song Contest stage will look like, Buckingham Palace has announced. The King - along with Camilla, the Queen Consort - will tour Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on Wednesday ahead of it hosting the event next month. As well as revealing the stage set-up they will meet show presenters and Mae Muller, who is representing the UK.
The stage design is intended to give the impression of the contest "opening its arms to Ukraine", organisers have previously said. The Royal couple will meet the creatives behind the event, along with the show's Ukrainian host Julia Sanina, UK host - and Ted Lasso star - Hannah Waddingham and BBC Radio 2's Eurovision presenters Scott Mills and Rylan Clark.
As part of their visit to the city the King and Queen Consort will also visit Liverpool Central Library to officially mark its twinning with Ukraine's first public library, the Regional Scientific Library in Odesa. They will meet people involved in both a two-week cultural festival running alongside the contest and Eurolearn - a Eurovision-inspired education programme for primary and secondary pupils.
Recovery Fund - Up to 820 arts organisations may have had their futures secured by the government’s Culture Recovery Fund, according to a new independent analysis of the scheme. A report from research and consultancy organisation Ecorys has looked at the impact of the government’s £1.57bn package of emergency support for cultural organisations that were at risk of insolv
UK - The Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) has announced the latest addition to its annual ABTT Awards, the ABTT Award for Environmental Sustainability.
The award will be presented to someone who over the past 12 months has made a significant contribution to furthering environmental sustainability within the theatre industry.
The award will sit alongside the established ABTT Technician of the Year Award and Award for Emerging Excellence which recognise the achievements of individuals both starting out and well-established in their backstage careers.
The ABTT Awards are one of the Association’s flagship events which this year will take place on Wednesday 7 June Alexandra Palace and the ABTT would like to extend an invitation to those in the industry to attend the ceremony and Theatre Show social, which will take place following the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show.
The ABTT Awards to take a moment to acknowledge those people making a difference to our Industry and this year and the ABTT are excited to be celebrating even more amazing people in the industry with the introduction of their newest award.
The ‘Award for Environmental Sustainability was created following the ABTT’s push in recent years towards reduce their carbon impact pursue a greener and more environmentally friendly industry.
ABTT event manager, Elysia Moore says: “The ABTT is proud to introduce an award to recognise those who have made a significant contribution to furthering environmental sustainability within the theatre industry. Thos
Final Curtain - Andrew Lloyd Webber has warned that the days of original shows opening on Broadway "ended long ago", with the composer calling on the industry to work together to secure a future for new work in New York’s theatre district. The composer, writing in the New York Times as his musical The Phantom of the Opera played its final performance on Broadway after 35 years, warned that the costs of running musicals in New York were so high that it was forcing producers to find shows with "small casts and minimal sets" and leading to an increase in jukebox musicals.
Writing in the paper, he said: "The era of the big original Broadway musical ended long ago. Massive hits such as Hamilton and Phantom did not originate on Broadway, unlike West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof.
"Who is taking a risk, as Hal [Prince] did so wonderfully with Stephen Sondheim? Am I wrong in fearing that a great work like Pacific Overtures could not debut on Broadway today unless there was a stage-struck sugar daddy lurking in the wings?"
Arts Funding - Theatre and arts organisations in Northern Ireland are bracing for 10% cuts in funding following advice from the region’s Arts Council. The warning came in a letter sent to the 95 organisations in the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Annual Funding Programme that include Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, Grand Opera House and the MAC, Northern Ireland Opera and the Ulster Orchestra. The letter told its organisations to “assume a 10% reduction in 2023-24 resource
UK - Kartfest 2023 is all set to be the biggest and the best Backup has ever held. Taking place on 6 July, the event will see 34 teams of expert industry racers, as well as a few novices thrown in for good measure and laughs, all driving towards becoming winners of the coveted championship title. There will be tweed and flowery dresses galore, and a host of stalls to keep non-racers amused throughout the day at the first ever Kart-Fest Village Fete.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of the Kartfest sponsors. For this year’s event, Chauvet Professional once again takes up the headline sponsor slot, with first time main sponsor 5 Star Cases deciding to join them after their exciting - and hilarious - experience of sponsoring last year’s inaugural Flight Case Challenge. But why do they want to commit their time and money to Kartfest again?
“It’s more about Backup than it is about Kartfest, although it is obviously enjoyable,” says Chauvet’s Sam Bowden. “Supporting the industry is our main priority. As a manufacturer, you don't often get the opportunity to give back to the freelancers in the industry and, as we know, the industry as a whole is predominantly freelance staffed.”
Sam notes that, particularly in times like we have seen over the last few years, it has become evident support is not always there for freelancers. “For lack of a better word, they don't have the backup of an employer like we're lucky to have,” he says. “So really, it's about giving back and making sure that we promote our freelance commu
Musical Theatre - BEAM 2023, a two-day event this May dedicated to new musical theatre, is to showcase 29 musicals-in-development. Running across 25-26 May at the Oxford Playhouse, BEAM will showcase new musicals and host workshops and panel discussions on musical theatre. Musical Theatre Network, Mercury Musical Developments and Oxford Playhouse are producing the event.
Shows to be featured at BEAM 2023 include Song of the Far Isles, an actor-musician musical by Matt Borgatti; Ratburger, a musical adaptation of the David Walliams book of the same title by Robert White; Once Upon a Carnival by Leian John-Baptiste, Perry Melius and Triniboi Joocie; and Scholl by Ella Grace.
Mercury Musical Developments executive director Natalia Scorer said: "BEAM is a vital platform for exciting new shows to be discovered. These 29 new musicals have been chosen from 265 pitches from around the UK and we are really looking forward to sharing this content and talent with the wider industry. BEAM is an excellent chance to bring the industry together to have important conversations about opportunities and pathways to developing new work, and to spark ideas and collaborations."
Early Finish - A performance of musical The Bodyguard was unable to finish after disruptive audience members resulted in the police being called. Police attended the performance on 7 April at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, following reports that a “mini riot” broke out at the theatre because of audience members singing along. A spokesperson
Taken Over - One of Scotland's oldest and best-loved theatres has been taken over by new owners. The Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow has been bought by London-based Trafalgar Entertainment for an undisclosed sum. The 1,449-capacity Renfield Street venue was one of the last privately run theatres in Scotland. Opening in 1904 as a music hall, the venue has played host to stars including Harry Lauder, Charlie Chaplin, Billy Connolly and Lulu.
Chris McGuigan, from Trafalgar Entertainment said: "You can feel the history, but you can feel the love which has gone into maintaining it. We are proud to become custodians of the Pavilion." The theatre is the first in Scotland to be acquired by Trafalgar Entertainment, which also has theatres in Australia, England and Wales.
On The Edge - Sheffield-based musical Standing at the Sky's Edge will transfer to London's West End in February 2024. The show, which was named best new musical at Sunday's Olivier Awards, tells the story of three families who live at the Park Hill council estate. It was written by Chris Bush with music by Richard Hawley and opened at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre in 2019. The show finished a run at the National Theatre in London in March and will move to the Gillian Lynne Theatre. The production won the best new musical prize at the Olivier Awards. Hawley also won an Olivier, alongside musical director Tom Deering, for best original score or orchestration for the show.
Front Row - The earliest known full recording of The Beatles playing a live concert in the UK, at th
UAE - EFM Global Logistics chartered 155ft yacht Desert Rose to celebrate 15 years operating out of Dubai – taking guests, DJs, food and drink up the coast from the city’s marina.
Clients past and present joined EFM’s directors on board to recognise the run of events the company has delivered for and to ‘kick around what comes next’.
EFM’s history in the region goes back to transporting equipment for a 2005 spectacular celebrating the official Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) launch.
The dearth of available vehicles in the city at that stage, capable of delivering to the standards clients had come to expect, saw EFM CEO, Mike Llewellyn, resolve to build his own. And EFM went on to establish itself as a local supplier three years later.
Since then, the company has provided for events across the gamut in the Middle East. Films including soon to be released Saudi-set epic Desert Warrior, sports events including the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Asian Cup and Formula E, together with the likes of Jeddah World Fest and Kuwait Constitution Day. And much more is planned for 2023.
Mike Llewellyn comments: “EFM is now a fully-fledged Saudi Arabian business (EFM KSA). We have our own people there and a 43,000sq ft fully functional warehouse in Riyadh. So, we can act as an importer of record (IOR) and offer a broad range of local and global logistical services.
“Saudi Arabia is on an amazing transitional journey, with significant inward investment it’s establishing itself as a hub fo
UK - Four young industry pros have joined the team at Crosstown Concerts to ‘bring fresh vision and extend the independent promoters’ network of artists and live shows’.
Crosstown director Conal Dodds has 32 years of experience promoting live music, forming Crosstown Concerts in 2016 with fellow Director Paul Hutton. He comments, “Promoting live music has never been more vibrant, as we rise from the turmoil of the pandemic to shape a new landscape. I was keen to introduce new voices into Crosstown that face the future.
“This new breed of promoters each bring their own passion, individual ideas and ambitions that will bring progression to our business, the artists and fans. Paul Hutton is stepping back from front line promoting from the end of March to take up an advisory consultancy role, so our new team is the way forward for Crosstown. We celebrated our seventh anniversary in business earlier this month and we look forward to the next seven.”
The promoting team comprises: Hayley Thompson who ran her own website, Music Festival News, before joining Crosstown as a freelance digital marketer in 2017; Richard Walsh who joined Crosstown Concerts in January 2023 as a national promoter and is busy confirming shows across the UK; Simon Bailey, a seasoned concert promoter with over a decade of experience, and Danny Morris who promotes UK tours for the likes of The Sherlocks, Badly Drawn Boy, and John Cooper Clarke.
Stream On - The success of artists like Taylor Swift and BTS helped global music revenues rise to $26.6bn (£21.7bn) last year, the highest level since records began in the 1990s. The growth was largely driven by streaming, which now accounts for 67% of the industry's earnings. Last year, 589m people paid for a subscription, said trade body the IFPI, up from 523m in 2021.
But labels say income could be higher, and are pushing for prices to rise. "It would help if music subscription pricing could reflect the realities of inflation," said Simon Robson, president of international markets for Warner Music.
The UK's largest streaming service, Spotify, hasn't increased its prices since launching in 2009, with an individual subscription set at £9.99. Most of its competitors maintain a similar pricing structure. Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl recently suggested that the US rate should rise to $13.25 (£10.83), based on the 2011 US launch price of $9.99, adjusted for inflation. "Music is undervalued, and this is not my opinion - there are actually numbers to back it up," he said. "If you take the US, the price that the user pays per hour of consumption of music is half of what they pay for movies and TV shows on streaming services. So right there, it's 50% undervalued today."
Eurovision Live - The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast live in cinemas across the UK for the first time. Liverpool will host the event on Saturday 13 May, following two semi-finals earlier in the week. Organisers say the screenings will encourage fancy
UK - Event crewing specialist Showforce has announced that Becky Meers has been promoted to the role of head of operations UK & Europe. Becky will oversee the account management, crew management and operations functions for Showforce’s UK and European business.
Having joined Showforce’s Liverpool office in 2010 as an account handler, over the last few years, she has ran point on some of Showforce’s largest accounts and projects including Creamfields North and South, Cannes Lions, Glastonbury, Platinum Jubilee and The 150th Open.
The announcement follows the news that the company’s Liverpool office has been expanded as so many international events head to the city this year. The Showforce team is readying itself for a busy period as Eurovision fever grows and the build for the 151st Open beginning. Showforce’s Liverpool office has built an excellent reputation and its key crew chiefs and crew are regularly called on to assist with projects all over the UK and internationally.
Commenting on the promotion, Gemma Charity, group managing director said: “As a company that is only as good as our people, we pride ourselves on nurturing and investing in talent. Becky’s rise through the ranks is a real success story and I couldn’t be prouder of her taking this next step in her career. She has proved herself to be extremely capable in even the most challenging of circumstances, always remaining good natured and calm under pressure.”
USA - In June of 2009 ETC launched a new app that turns Apple handhelds into miniature lighting controllers. From the very beginning, ETC decided that all profits from sales of the iRFR (Radio Focus Remote) and later the aRFR for Android apps would be donated to charity. On Friday at the 2023 USITT Show, ETC presented Behind the Scenes with a check for $39,599 bringing the total donated to the charity to over half a million dollars.
The iRFR and aRFR mobile apps enable convenient, touchscreen-based remote control for Eos family consoles and controllers. You can learn more about the apps from the ETC website and download them from the iTunes or Google Play stores.
David Lincecum, ETC’s vice president of marketing, commented, “Many of us are drawn to work in the entertainment technology industry because of its strong sense of community. Behind the Scenes has long been at the heart of this community, providing important financial support and mental health resources for our friends and colleagues. ETC employee owners are proud to contribute to this meaningful work.”
Rick Rudolph, chair of Behind the Scenes accepted the cheque along with other members of the Board of Directors. Rick commented, “This milestone is truly remarkable. When ETC first told us about this initiative we never dreamed it would reach half a million dollars. That money has allowed us to help so many of our colleagues in need: keeping a roof over their heads, heat and lights turned on, food on their table, prescriptions filled, and doctor’s appointments kept. We extend our
UK - Event, catering and brand logistics specialist Global Infusion Group has appointed Tim Young as its new managing director. Young brings of experience at both PLC and SME level to the role.
Prior to joining Global Infusion Group, Young was managing director of AMP Air Conditioning, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Panasonic Corporation, leading business operations and financial management. This followed a five-year stint as finance and commercial director with event supplier Thorns Group.
Commenting on his appointment, Young says: “I’m honoured to join the Global Infusion Group and working alongside such a great team. This is such an exciting time for the business, our catering division has just completed a record year of business with several high-profile events, tours and major global games successfully delivered in 2021/22. Whilst the logistics arm is making full use of our fabulous new facilities in Aston Clinton to rapidly expand its operations. The next 12 months will see significant levels of investment in the business which will allow us to enhance the customer experience and future proof the company.”
Bonnie May, CEO of Global Infusion Group adds: “Tim’s experience, positive attitude and can-do approach are exactly what we need to drive the business forward. As a friend and colleague for more than 15 years, it’s great to know that we’re in such capable hands as we strive for growth. I’m looking forward to working with him closely.”
Europe - The Inside Story has taken steps to reduce its impact on the planet by becoming CoolPartner number 054 with Cloudforests.ie, a social enterprise creating new forests along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. The move will give the full-service marketing agency a verifiable nature-based solution to offset the carbon emissions created by the business.
“As a company, we have been talking for a while about the impact that our actions are having on the environment and we wanted to take positive action to reduce this,” explains Barney Jameson, founder and managing director at The Inside Story. “After a period of extensive research, we decided that Cloudforests presented the best solution to help us reduce our carbon footprint.”
“Joining Cloudforests is a powerful statement about what we stand for as a company,” adds John Hull, director of video at The Inside Story. “We know that the work we do every day is having a negative impact on the world we live in. Taking steps like becoming a CoolPartner helps us to make a positive change.”
The partnership will see the planting of native trees such as Oak, Rowan, Birch and Alder at the new The Inside Story mini-forest. The trees will be planted using the Miyawaki Method which will provide carbon sequestration is up to ten times higher than conventional techniques.
“It’s particularly important that we are planting native trees,” states Amber Harty, social media executive at The Inside Story. “This means that not only are we helping to reduce our carbon footprint, we are also suppor
UK - Following on from the international industry-wide survey conducted in November 2022, PLASA and #WeMakeEvents have now published the full report, which is now available to download for free.
Completed by over 1,300 people in over 40 countries, the data offers clear insights into how the events, entertainment and installation industries are recovering from the pandemic, and highlights the rebound, along with what challenges remain.
The data will be presented to government departments and financial institutions to help raise the profile of the live sector, and it’s hoped, gain meaningful, long-term support. This report builds on the comprehensive survey conducted by PLASA and #WeMakeEvents in 2021.
Financially, the industry has mostly “bounced back” as predicted, with companies with over a million turnover seeing positive growth. Although, those with under one million turnover are still generally making up ground. Also, the vast majority of companies that took on debt during the pandemic are still paying it back.
Furthermore, delays and shortages across the board still remain, with 90% of manufacturers facing component delays and three-quarters of non-manufacturers facing delays in finished goods. Several reasons are cited, with Brexit leading the way.
Skills and work also remain affected, with employment down 10%, and three-quarters of employers struggling to fill roles. And as a result, companies are delaying projects. Approximately half of employers do not think that graduates have the necessary skills, although a third ind
Student Funding - Higher education regulator the Office for Students has awarded a £9.6m annual funding boost to 15 establishments across England that provide training in performing arts. The organisations include Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, Leeds Conservatoire, Chickenshed Theatre Company and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. All will receive a portion of the funding to help improve teaching and access to training.
A total of £9.6m a year will be awarded over five financial years from 2022-23 to 2026-27. Six organisations will receive the maximum amount of £1m a year. LIPA has been awarded this amount in this financial year. Sean McNamara, LIPA principal and chief executive, said: “The funding recognises our enduring reputation for excellence and the significant costs associated with delivering the type of high-quality specialist professional vocational training that we provide.
"It also recognises the importance of developing our students as creative artists and cultural entrepreneurs of the future in the ever-evolving cultural and creative industries, which annually contribute £115bn to the UK economy. Following our decision to remove audition fees, the funding will also enable us to push forward with our ambitious plans to widen access to performing arts training, expand on our already extensive industry and cultural partnerships and invest in professional standard equipment to ensure we continue to reflect the latest industry developments and trends.”
Swift Return - It's been five years since Taylo
UK - Backup has officially declared Kartfest -The Village Fete, open! Tickets are now on sale to the live events industry’s big day out.
Now in its eighth year, Backup is delighted that Kartfest will be returning to Sandown Park for its biggest event yet. “With our fantastic headline sponsor, Chauvet, we are building a big old fashioned Village Fete to give everyone a great day out,” says Backup vice chair and the event’s organiser, Lee Dennison. “Our judges will be out in force scoring the best dressed stalls, our cake bake competition and the best fete game. We are all looking forward to apple bobbing, hook the duck and smashing the rat.”
Backup is also delighted to have 5 Star Cases officially sponsor the Flight Case Relay, which is longer and faster than last year’s race. “We so looking forward to seeing the budding Linford Christies warming up on the day,” adds Lee.
A major focus this year on the Wellbeing Hub, which will see Music Support, The Lions Barbers Collective and Music Industry Therapist coming together to provide an educational and support space for everyone attending.
There will also be a multitude of food offerings at the Village Fete, with a mixture of Mediterranean, Italian and Asian street, and the Mr Whippy Van will be there, so there will be plenty of choice for all. To help this great food go down, Big Drop Brewery and Signature Brew will be selling their ranges of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, alongside other crafters.
Big beats will be flooding the Fete with the DJ Adam Fabulous, plus the
UK - Midwich UK&I has launched Mi Finance – a financial services offering that supports customers’ business growth through help in acquiring new technologies or upgrading assets while protecting their working capital.
Available to customers of Midwich Ltd, Nimans Ltd and Sound Technology Ltd, and with plans to roll out to the wider UK&I group of companies soon, Mi Finance offers ‘competitive rates for lease and hire purchase’. Three product options are currently available including finance lease, hire purchase, and operating lease, with a fourth product in development.
Simon Munday, Mi Finance manager, said: “We are really excited to bring this proposition to market. We are constantly looking at ways to increase our service offering and Mi Finance is our answer.
“We work as an extension to our customer’s team – taking the administration out of their hands, offering quotations, managing proposal acceptances, completing documents, and arranging swift payments – so they don’t have to. The service is also available as an offering to facilitate transactions with their end client.”
Leasing has grown in popularity with recent figures by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) stating “that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew in January 2023 by 8% compared with the same month in 2022. In the twelve months to January 2023, new business was 6% higher than in the same period in 2022”.
Louise Nevard, director – credit at Midwich UK&I, added: “It’s great to be abl
Financial Moves - The National Theatre has revealed it will need to “reduce activity levels in order to ensure financial stability” for the next three to four years, as it warns of the ongoing challenges it faces in its annual accounts for the year ending March 2022. The accounts show that its total income for the year until March 2022 was £80.8m, up from £56.3m the year before, but warn that high rates of inflation and increased energy costs are having a "significant impact" on its cost base. In the year before theatres were closed in March 2020, the theatre’s income was more than £100m.
In addition, it highlights a recent 5% cut to its annual Arts Council England funding, which was previously £17m but is being reduced by £850,000 a year with effect from this year. It also points to audiences being slow to return following the pandemic lockdowns, remaining about 21% down on pre-Covid attendance, and how "audience and consumer confidence is likely to be impacted by the cost-of-living crisis".
Future Theatre - The Society of London Theatre has revealed plans to launch a membership category to help identify and support early and mid-career producers and "future industry leaders". The associate membership programme is aimed at identifying producers and future industry leaders in London who are not eligible for other categories of SOLT membership.
SOLT said it hoped the programme would encourage applicants from groups who have historically been under-represented within the organisation over the past 114 years of its history, to ensur
USA - Dates for virtual Mental Health First Aid training are now posted through May 2023 at btshelp.org/mhfa. You can take an active role in helping to care for those you work with and expand your skill sets by learning how to identify, understand and respond to signs of distress in your colleagues and help make our workplaces healthier and safer spaces for all.
A previous attendee recently told BTS, “A dear friend disclosed an awful mental health crisis. Thanks to your class, I was able to put my mental health first aid training into critical practice and send them some resources. In an intense, immediate way I am so glad to have been there for a friend and able to help them get the help they desperately need.”
The course is delivered in two parts. The first is a two-hour self-paced online course that must be completed prior to a six-hour virtual live instructor led session. The registration fee is $125. IATSE members and those working under IATSE agreements may be eligible for Training Trust Fund reimbursement upon proof of successful completion of the course. A limited number of partial and full scholarships are available to individuals not eligible for reimbursement. Training for Canadians is available through the AFC at https://afchelps.ca/mhfa.
Private group classes of 10 -25 are available virtually or in-person – contact mhfa@btshelp.org for information.
Do you know how to safely intervene if you see a co-worker being bullied or intimidated? Did you know there are different ways to intervene to match your comfort level? In just
USA - The Behind the Scenes Foundation has added a number of new board members over the last six months intended to broaden industry representation and ensure continuity for future generations of entertainment technology professionals.
Chairperson Rick Rudolph states, “The Foundation has evolved and expanded its scope since forming in2005. Our mission now includes a Mental Health initiative along with the core of multiple needs grants. With increased programmes and the desire for more outreach and expertise, we have invited additional members to join the board of directors bringing fresh ideas and knowledge. I am extremely pleased to welcome them and grateful to our current and past members. The work we do is important, impacting our colleagues by providing help, hope and awareness.”
Joining the Board are Liz Campos, executive director of the IATSE Training Trust Fund; Caroline Chauvet, global brand manager for Chauvet; Kate Foster, marketing communication specialist for ETC; Paul Royalty, senior vice president of sales for LiteGear; Brad Schiller, lighting industry veteran; Jeff Siegel, director of Eastern region systems for Barbizon Lighting; Court Watson, USA 829 costume and scenic designer; and Pat White, president of IATSE Local 764 and director of education and training, IATSE.
Court Watson, whose design credits include theatre, opera and dance around the world, has created several popular BTS holiday cards over the years. It was his focus though, on making our workplaces safer and healthier for all that led the Board to invite him to join
UK - Backup is delighted to announce the much-anticipated date for this year’s Kartfest, and Thursday July 6th is the day to get your best tweed, flowery dress and, if you’re so inclined, Morris Dancing regalia, ready for the Kart-Fest Village Fete.
Tickets will be on sale from 0900hrs on Monday 20 March and it will be very much first come first served. “After an unprecedented demand last year, we are also restricting one Kart per team to make sure as many companies can attend,” says Backup’s Lee Dennison. “We are also placing much more of a focus on the activities on the day for those not racing, so we’re delighted to let you know that the theme for this year will be the good old British Summer Village Fete.”
There will be lots of fun to be had for racers and non-racers alike. More updates will be announced over the coming weeks, so make sure you not only book your Kart but also your spectator passes as well. There will be plenty for everyone.
Watch out for the ticketing details on our social channels on Monday 20 March!