Germany - Bizzy Studios in Cologne is a specialist recording and mixing studio geared towards rap and pop music, with five fully kitted-out studio rooms. European artists such SSIO, Jamule and Kollegah are regulars, attracted to the ambience that studio owner Bizzy Mo has created, and the skills of the talented production and sound engineering teams.
In the main studio, Van Damme XKE Starquad Series microphone cables and Van Damme Pro Grade XKE Pro-Patch Series balanced patch cables are used to connect outboard equipment.
Bizzy Mo has also recently used Van Damme Toslink cables to connect digital audio between Dangerous Music and Universal Audio AD/DA converters, replacing Toslink cables from another German manufacturer.
He commented: "I've relied on high-priced cables from well-known brands in the past and didn't think I could do much better at a fair price until I discovered Van Damme. Van Damme cables have elevated my recording and mastering chain, enabling us to create music that sounds incredible. And on top of this, the customer service provided is professional and flexible enough to allow specific requests, which is very important to us as a busy recording studio."
Herpreet Kaur Singh, commercial director at VDC Trading says: “We feel privileged that Bizzy Studios has put its faith in Van Damme cables. Christian and Andre at Audiosteps have fulfilled the requests that have come in from Bizzy Mo and provided a first-class service to the team. We look forward to hearing more about the artists that record their albums in Cologne.”
Festival Funding - A free music festival which has been running for 15 years may not go ahead this summer due to a shortage in funds, organisers say. The charity-run Local and Live event, based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said the cost of living crisis was hampering sponsorships. A petition has been started calling for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) to help fund the festival.
The council said it was working to find a solution. The volunteer-run event began in 2006 and hosts local musicians playing and works to promote grassroots music and musical education in the area through the Local and Live Charity. Festival organiser and charity chairman Paul Dunton said: "Everyone is feeling the pinch. We've just found things considerably more expensive this year. So it's just added to the burden I suppose. Getting the funding is proving a little bit more difficult this year and we've got more costs than ever, but we're determined to make it happen." Local and Live 2022 is due to take place from 26 to 29 August.
Fundraiser - A ballet company formed of Ukrainian dancers who have fled their homeland will make its West End debut this year. United Ukrainian Ballet will perform at the London Coliseum on 17 September to raise funds to support the people and culture of Ukraine. The company was formed by dancers who fled Ukraine and now live and train at The Hague in the Netherlands. The city has given them the former Royal Conservatoire to live and work in.
Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, a Ukrainian citizen, is creating a new interpretation of Gisell
UK - Music Support, the charity that helps those who work in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction has announced its latest fundraising auction: Music Support’s Music Icons featuring exclusive prizes from four music artists.
With music festivals well and truly back in Summer 2022, artists and crew alike are under pressure to perform at levels that have not been seen for years. The funds raised through this auction will contribute towards Music Support’s core services, including its peer-led confidential Helpline that saw a 60% increase in volume of calls during the global pandemic.
Music Support’s Music Icons auction prizes are as follows:
Coldplay, has donated a Fender Squier guitar, signed by all four members of the band. Of their donation, the band said:
“The music industry can present a very specific set of mental health and addiction challenges which, like many artists, we know all too well. Music Supports provides life-changing help and expert guidance for anyone struggling with these issues. We are proud to support this crucial charity by donating this guitar, signed by all of us, to their Music Icons auction.”
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who, signed a striking Fender Stratocaster guitar especially for this auction in March 2022.
Topper Headon of The Clash was happy to sign and donate one of his favourite snare drums, used at the last gig he ever played in Canterbury.
Finally, the ink is barely dry on the Fender Stratocaster signed and donated by all six memb
Top Ticket prices - Prices for top tickets to see West End shows have risen by 21% since before the pandemic, according to research by The Stage. The average top ticket price is currently £140.85, up from £116.09 in June 2019, the publication says. The most expensive show in the survey is Cabaret at the Playhouse, for which some tickets will set you back £303.80. But the research found that the lowest-priced tickets have risen by an average of just 3.3% since 2019, up to £22.56.
The most expensive seats for West End musicals now cost an average of £154.36, although that was a relatively modest increase of 3.5% since 2019, The Stage said. Plays had an average top ticket price of £114.69 - a jump of 38% compared with three years ago.
One factor in the high ticket prices for Cabaret was the redesign of the theatre to accommodate the production. Several hundred seats were stripped out, reducing the Playhouse's capacity.
The Stage editor Alistair Smith said that on the surface, the average face value of top-price tickets has "skyrocketed", but that overall it "is more of a mixed picture than previous years", partly because London's lucrative international tourist market has not fully recovered.
Reasonable - Andrew Lloyd Webber has said ticket prices for West End shows are "incredibly reasonable" given the cost of bringing a production to the stage. The composer, whose hits include Cats and Evita, is charging from £15 to more than £99.50 - for premium seats - for his London musical S
Eurovision - Ukraine should be given the chance to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, the UK prime minister has said. Speaking to journalists after returning from its capital, Kyiv, Boris Johnson said the streets there were lively and Ukrainians were "confident". As winners of the contest in May, Ukraine should normally host the show, but organisers said on they thought it would be too unsafe. Its planners are discussing holding it in the UK instead, which came second.
Cities across the UK, including Cardiff and Birmingham, have expressed interest in staging the 2023 contest if it ends up in the UK.
“We would relish the opportunity to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 here at Principality Stadium, Cardiff,” said a spokesman. “We have a 20-year history of successfully hosting the biggest music artists and sporting events in the world, and to add Eurovision, the world's biggest and much-loved music competition to the list, would be the cherry on top of the last two decades.”
Most-Played - Ed Sheeran was the most-played artist in the UK last year, according to new data from music licensing body PPL. The singer also had the most-played song of the year with Bad Habits. It's the fourth time in five years that Sheeran has been named the UK's most-played artist, calculated by plays on radio, TV, pubs, clubs and shops.
Tom Grennan had the second and third most-played songs of 2021. His Calvin Harris collaboration, By Your Side, took the runner-up spot, with his solo single Little Bit of Love in third plac
USA - The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) have raised more than $1m for charity thanks to thousands of individual and corporate sponsors. The Riders are about the embark on their 19th annual ride this summer.
This milestone could not have been reached without the tireless dedication of volunteers and donors who have given of their time, talent and money to help those less fortunate, says LRLR. Over the years, three charities have benefitted from the fundraising: AFC (Canada), Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and (primarily) Behind the Scenes Foundation.
Lori Rubinstein, executive director of Behind the Scenes, comments: “It’s truly amazing what can be accomplished when like-minded people come together for a common purpose. Even though a major milestone has been achieved, the need is greater than ever, especially with Behind the Scenes’ new mental health initiative. The Long Riders are setting the example of affinity-based fundraising as a way to assist others.”
LRLR are a group of riders from across the US who work in the entertainment industry and share both a love of motorcycles and a desire to help their colleagues in need. Since 2004, well over 100 riders and chase vehicle drivers have banded together in this common cause.
The Long Riders are already looking ahead to future fundraising adventures, and donations will be accepted for this year’s ride through the end of August. To donate or learn more, go to www.lrlr.org
Italy - Eurovision returned to its full splendour in Turin for 2022 after the challenges of the pandemic in 2021. Even the continuing horror of war in Europe failed to affect the event, in fact, only serving to intensify the joy, the magic and the music that Eurovision brings to the world every year.
To bring a kaleidoscope of SFX to the stage in Turin, Luca Toscano, CEO of Artech teamed up with Lucas Gerritzen of Pyrofoor de Amsterdam who supplied the FX for the 2021 show in the Netherlands. Artech is a group of companies, that specialise in delivering SFX and show solutions across the globe.
Appointed by this years’ host broadcaster RAI Television as the Eurovision 2022 SFX, pyro and laser supplier, Toscano sees the event as a glorious celebration of the entertainment industry, a showcase for the best of the best. Across the two companies, more than 20 people were involved in delivering the dizzying array of SFX at the PalaOlimpico in Turin. Flames, smoke machines, CO2 launchers, spark machines, close proximity pyrotechnics were all part of the extraordinary package that were offered to the delegations to enhance and excite their Eurovision performances.
“Each delegation has its own director and artistic director,” explains Toscano. “They have a list of the special effects we can supply for them along with the positions embedded on the stage area. Of course, it depends on what each entry has in mind for their visuals - not everyone will choose to employ SFX - it is entirely up to them, but our team work tirelessly to
USA - Matt Ross-Spang, an American record producer, Grammy award-winning engineer and mixer has just opened the doors of Southern Grooves, a custom-designed studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
Located in what was once the Sears cafeteria on the second floor of Crosstown Concourse, a “vertical urban village”, the build started pre-pandemic, in August 2020. With the expertise of acousticians Steven Durr and Matt Schlachter, a 3,000sq.ft recording studio was designed where sound and feel are prioritised in every room.
The space consists of a live room, control room, a long hallway (for reverb) echo chamber, plus a lounge, office, tech Shop and EMT plate room. The fact that the live room has an undulating ceiling and emphasises no 90° angles or parallel surfaces, means that the sounds created gives the impression that the space is a lot bigger than it actually is.
VDC Trading supplied 30,000ft of Van Damme cable for the Southern Grooves install - specifically the Ecoflex and PVC AES series cables. These cables can do AES, DMX512, RS422 and even analogue audio in one slim, elegant flexible cable solution. Van Damme LSZH Purple Series, 2, 4 and 8 core, as well as the Van Damme Green Series, single, two, eight and 24 cores, were used throughout.
Matt Ross-Spang said: “This has always been a dream of mine and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of folks to help realise it. I have been fortunate to work in some legendary studios, built by my heroes. This was my inspiration for Southern Grooves. From the very first visit, Steven Durr was indispen
Rural Theatre - Theatre companies working in rural Northern Ireland will benefit from the creation of a £1.5m fund set up to cater for local communities that might not otherwise have access to the arts.
The Rural Engagement Arts Programme, announced by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, is designed to tackle isolation and loneliness, and promote social inclusion among rural communities as the country emerges from the pandemic. It has been given National Lottery funding over three years and will provide grants of up to £10,000 each to community groups, arts organisations and rural local authorities delivering arts projects.
Roisin McDonough, chief executive of the Arts Council, said the "vital" new funding programme would help realise "meaningful arts activities" that could enrich the lives of the people that engaged with them. "We know that taking part in arts activities can raise self-esteem, boost confidence and motivation, as well as alleviate isolation and loneliness. The pandemic and the resulting lockdowns across the UK have taken a toll on individual lives, with mental health and well-being adversely effected as families and friends were separated for sustained periods of time, especially intergenerational. This has been particularly compounded in rural communities, which are characterised by smaller and more dispersed populations," McDonough said.
COVID Cancellations - Mick Jagger tested positive for COVID-19, prompting The Rolling Stones to cancel a performance in Amsterdam. The band said the show at the Johan Cruijff Arena wou
UK - Specialist set designer Diagon has created a new 40,000sq.ft workshop in Erith, southeast London. The facility doubles the company's indoor footprint and will house specialist departments for carpentry, engineering, paint and CAD.
A provider of bespoke scenic build and installation services for the retail, exhibition and event sectors, Diagon works with clients including Christie's auction house, George P Johnson, the BRIT Awards and artist and stage designer, Es Devlin.
Tom Sabin, managing director, comments: “This fabulous new facility marks a huge milestone for Diagon. Coming just after our 21st anniversary, we have doubled our fabrication capacity, created a new studio department with incredible draughting and design capability and added some fantastic staff to the team. With a busy summer ahead, we now have the ability to further step up the scale and quantity of projects we can take on.”
Diagon has expanded each workshop department and invested in new equipment, machinery and storage including a new dedicated assembly area of 120sq.m where clients can see work in progress or full test builds with tech integration.
The workshop’s internal height of 7.5m gives Diagon space for large scale builds with the addition of another 20,000sq.ft of hardstanding yard area for easy truck access and outdoor test build space. Within the facility there is a dedicated area of 5000sq.ft for client storage where sets and installations can be kept in a secure, dry area in pristine condition for future use.
Other improvements include larg
Platinum Party - An average of nearly 12 million people in the UK watched the Platinum Party in the Palace on BBC One on Saturday. The concert saw stars Diana Ross, George Ezra, Queen, Elbow and many others perform in front of a Buckingham Palace crowd that included members of the royal family. It attracted the BBC's biggest audience of the year, peaking at 13.4 million. The BBC states: "The Platinum Party at the Palace on BBC One was the most watched programme of the year so far."
Going Green - Directors and designers working at London’s National Theatre will receive additional pay if they contribute to the organisation’s sustainability goals, artistic director Rufus Norris has announced. The National Theatre boss said the financial incentive reflected the extra work that is required to deliver on the environmental objectives set out in the Theatre Green Book.
Speaking at an event marking a year of the Theatre Green Book, hosted at the NT’s South Bank home, Norris admitted his own productions had historically "not been the best models of practice", and pledged to work to the Green Book’s standards on all shows he makes in future.
The book, described as a "one-stop shop" to help the industry nurture more sustainable practices, was launched last year. It offers three levels of environmental standards that theatres should adhere to in order to cut carbon emissions in both the making of shows and running of buildings.
Back Home - Fans of Robbie Williams at his concert in his native Stoke-on-Trent
Peace Move - Ukrainian punk-folk quartet Dakha Brakha will bring an anti-war message to Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage next month. The band will play the festival's main stage on Sunday morning, shortly before Diana Ross makes her festival debut. For years, the band have called themselves ‘ambassadors of free Ukraine’ and punctuated concerts with cries of ‘Stop Putin!’ and ‘No war!’. They are currently donating proceeds from their shows to the Ukrainian army.
The quartet were one of several acts added to the Glastonbury line-up, as the festival revealed its full programme for 2022. Yungblud, AJ Tracey, The Libertines, Kae Tempest, Ziggy Marley and Little Dragon will join previously-announced headliners Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar. On the festival's second-biggest stage, The Other Stage, Pet Shop Boys, Megan Thee Stallion and Foals will top the bill.
Fighting Fund - Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian band which won this year's Eurovision Song Contest, have sold their trophy for £712,000 to raise money for the war in Ukraine. The crystal microphone was auctioned on Facebook, with the aim of buying drones for Ukraine's military. The sale coincided with the band's appearance at a charity concert at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. It aimed to raise money for medical care and supplies.
Speaking at the concert, band member Oleh Psiuk appealed for people not to get used to the war, which has left at least 4,031 civilians dead and 4,735 injured, according to the UN, along with an unknown number of combatants. “I think it shoul
USA/Europe - HireHop, the cloud equipment rental software, has been adding new features and has just released its new route planner to help companies plan their deliveries, collections and service runs.
Deliveries, collections and other transports can be set to be automatically added when a user adds a delivery charge or collection charge to a job. There can be multiple deliveries, collections or service runs on each job, and all on different or the same dates. For some companies who need to schedule service runs over the duration of a rental, they can even schedule multiple runs at set or various intervals, for example a toilet hire company can schedule services every week to appear on the daily allocations in the route planner.
The planner also keeps track of weight, drivers and assistants and it can plot and display optimal delivery routes on a map. The delivery routes can be emailed to drivers who can open them on Google Maps for preset satnav guidance for the day’s delivery route. The route planner is available for free to all HireHop users.
HireHop has also released a new feature that breaks down as well as total profit and margins for jobs and projects. This enables users to decide if the job or project is profitable enough to undertake or see if the profit margins are within target.
For scanning barcode or QR codes, HireHop now has a built-in barcode scanner that uses the devices camera. This means that you don’t need any external barcode scanner and can just use your phone to scan.
There have been many other updates, such
Alienating Audiences - Expensive ticket prices risk alienating audiences and exposing theatre workers to “further vulnerability”, BECTU head Philippa Childs has warned. The union boss was addressing recent uproar caused by the West End production of Cock increasing its top-priced seats to £400, before reducing them to £175 following a social media backlash. Childs described the “steep rise” in ticket prices as “deeply concerning for a sector that is trying to get back to pre-pandemic audience levels”.
“When faced with soaring ticket rates amid the ever-increasing cost-of-living crisis, audiences will have little choice but to cut back on the expense of going to the theatre, leaving productions out of pocket and exposing workers to further vulnerability,” she said.
The BECTU head also argued that increased ticket prices were not being reflected in workers’ pay. “The shutdown of the industry during the pandemic prompted many to leave the theatre industry in search of alternative work that provided better terms and conditions, resulting in a significant skills shortage across the sector. Poor pay is a major contributor to this issue and will continue to harm the industry if the problem is not addressed,” she warned.
Breakout Cancelled - A three-day music festival in Fife featuring Midge Ure and Big Country has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. The inaugural Kirkcaldy Breakout Festival was due to take place on the town's Esplanade from 27 -29 May. But organisers have confirmed the event, which would have rais
UK - IPS has added over 30km of power cabling and 300 distribution units to its hire stock. This significant stock increase has already been hard at work supporting both IPS productions onsite, as well as meeting the needs of IPS’ range of trade hire customers.
Over the last few months, IPS have been working hard to increase hire stocks all the hardware needed for the distribution of temporary power at events. Close working relationships with suppliers have been essential whilst battling supply restrictions and varying lead times along with all the other pressures associated with coronavirus, along with tireless work from Joe Martin who leads the IPS service department.
“It really has been a non-stop few months for me and the team, but despite all the obstacles, we are pleased to now have an expanded and upgraded range of fully tested cabling and power distribution equipment ready to hire,” says Joe.
In total, around £750,000 has been spent on hardware that will provide many years of reliable service. All the new cabling has been made with tough black H07 cable and fitted with either CEE Form or PowerLock connectors. IPS now has an available hire inventory of more than 80km of mains cabling consisting of both single and three phase options, in 16A, 32A, 63A, 125A, 200A, 400A and 600A variants.
The 200A Power Lock range is new for 2022, with sets stocked in 5m, 10m, 25m and 50m lengths. All cabling is colour coded and labelled with length and ID details and has been electrically tested and logged on the IPS barcode-based inventory syste
UK - Collaborative Creations has announced three new appointments in key positions.
Nic Farman has joined the CC team as its new lighting designer & business development specialist. Farman was previously a freelance lighting designer and will now be continuing his lighting design work in theatres internationally, but under the CC banner.
Farman has more than 10 years of experience lighting musicals, theatre and opera. He has worked extensively in the UK’s West End, as well as on shows in Lebanon, Dubai, and Kuwait.
The appointment comes following two further additions to the team at Collaborative Creations in recent months. Chris West joined as training and education director in February, offering a wide range of in-person and e-learning training courses.
West’s previous role was Global Training Manager for disguise. He has also worked in training roles for MA Lighting, White Light, Martin and Avolites.
In December 2021, Collaborative Creations also appointed Tyler Holpin as business development specialist. Holpin’s previous role was sales manager at console manufacturer Zero 88
Collaborative Creations managing director Tom Wilkes comments, “We continue to add more strings to our bow with these three appointments. Nic, Chris and Tyler are all well-known faces in the industry who are at the very top of their game. They bring a huge amount of experience, a deep roster of contacts and a powerful set of skills to our clients and the industry at large.”
Review Programme - Arts Council England’s future is to be considered as part of a government review into all arm’s length bodies, which could see some bodies scrapped and significant savings demanded from those that remain. The newly launched Reviews of Public Bodies programme, run by the Cabinet Office, will examine the operations of all arm’s length bodies in England and assess whether "they should be abolished or retained", as well as whether money allocated to them is spent effectively. Savings of at least 5% per organisation should be identified as part of the review process.
The department will lead reviews in charge of each public body, meaning the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport will be asked to review the public bodies it sponsors, including the Arts Council, the BFI, the National Lottery Community Fund and Historic England.
At present, arm’s length bodies in England spend more than £220bn each year and employ more than 300,000 people. The review programme, launched by Jacob Rees-Mogg, minister for Brexit opportunities and government efficiency - will seek to ensure public bodies are both a “necessity” and “accountable, efficient and effective”. Rees-Mogg said: “Reviews will consider whether the body should be abolished or retained; whether it should continue to deliver all of its functions; and whether it has an effective relationship with its department.”
Supper Songs - A diner featuring singing waiting staff who will serenade customers with musical theatre songs is to open in the West E
UK - Le Mark’s head of export Karolina Wlodarczyk has been invited to be an ‘export champion’ for the UK’s Department of International Trade.
Karolina is a Polish citizen originally from the town of Raciborz, who studied (2004-2009) and graduated from Opole University with a master’s degree in English Language and Cultural Studies.
She is currently undertaking additional formal business training and education with an ambition to see a future graduation with ARU Peterborough.
Since joining Cambridgeshire based Le Mark Group, her career has grown from strength to strength. Karolina has built a reputation internationally, leading from the front at trade shows around the world. Since joining Le Mark she has represented the company at LDI Las Vegas, Prolight+Sound Frankfurt and Light + Audio Tec (formerly Prolight+Sound NAMM Russia). Karolina is now responsible for over 70 international Le Mark distributors, either directly, or overseeing via her export department team.
“Karolina has worked with me on several DIT initiatives, both regionally, internationally, and more recently in London at the DIT headquarters in Old Admiralty Building,” says Le Mark managing director Stuart Gibbons. “She is respected by many. I believe her skills were recognised at high level where she was formally invited to take on the position of ‘export champion’ by DIT.
“She will now represent both her company and the UK, encouraging and developing companies to export and develop their overseas trade skills. It’s a pleasure to share this story of
Ireland - Dublin-based Magic Kite has grown over the years to become one of the largest audio suppliers on the island. Along with sister company Just Lite, it is a one-stop shop for all technical aspects of a production including lighting, screens and professional audio equipment, delivering productions for international touring artists, festivals and stadium concerts of all sizes.
Magic Kite constantly upgrades its equipment to suit the many levels and specifications, and VDC has been instrumental in equipping the company with the kit required.
Recent provision includes a fully custom designed 48-channel line system, including a 48ch split, upstage looms, satellite boxes, a variety of 24 and 12 pair Veam to Veams, upstage socapex looms, 16a and 32a cables for mains distribution, and panel work.
VDC has also helped Magic Kite carry out a complete overhaul of its on-stage monitoring cabling and sub boxes completing the transition to a standardised system for all its on-stage monitors and loudspeakers.
Steven Montgomery, senior project manager and system designer at Magic Kite Productions, comments: "Since I was introduced to Adam and Herpreet at VDC several years ago, they have been my first port of call for any cable or panel work projects. They always go above and beyond to understand the end goal of the project, providing valuable experienced input and keep in touch every step of the way. The quality of products from VDC really are second to none – surviving years of rigorous use and 1000s of connections with a near zero fail rate, givin
Free Movement - UK hauliers working on music concerts, sporting and cultural events will be able to make unlimited international trips under new rules. Since Brexit, British specialist hauliers have been limited to three EU stops per tour, the government said. But from late summer they will be able to move freely between the UK, the EU and other countries, it said.
The change has been cautiously welcomed by industry experts but they said it did not solve the problem for everyone. Wob Roberts, production manager for Duran Duran and Sam Smith, told the BBC the move was good news for UK and European tours but did not help smaller UK-based operations which do not have another base overseas.
New dual registration laws will apply to haulage companies with a base in the UK and another abroad, the Department for Transport said. It means they will be able to transfer their vehicle between both operator licences without the need to change vehicles or have their journeys limited. They will also not have to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in the UK for six months. The new rules will apply to travel not just to the EU, but also to other countries.
Industry group UK Music said the rule change was "important progress for UK musicians and crew looking to tour the EU". But chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin told the BBC there were still issues around the transport of goods or passengers.
Breaking Point - Theatre workers are at "breaking point" after enduring decades of long hours and low wages, BECTU has warned, as it demands “substantial and me
UK - Flight case manufacturers, 5 Star Cases believes in normalising discussions about mental health at work and breaking down barriers when it comes to the stigma of mental illness.
According to 5 Star’s accounts & HR manager Kirsty Locks, authentic human connections need to start with treating every member of the team as an individual and ensuring everyone feels that they belong. “This is what creates true diversity and inclusion, and that’s why we’ve been so passionate about advocating this within our team,” says Kirsty. “For everyone to feel they belong, this also means being vulnerable at times, which is why we have been integrating mental health and wellbeing services within our workplace to keep employees happy and in a healthy state of mind.”
The company has taken some important steps to ensure the mental wellbeing of its workforce is being looked after. “We’ve always known how important our staff’s mental wellbeing is, but during the pandemic we realised just how vital it is, so we did something more about it. We signed up for The Healthy Workplace, funded by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council and delivered by Everyone Health.
“The Healthy Workplace service supports workplaces across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees. 5 Star is also running an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) in partnership with Peninsula and Health Assured, which includes mental and wellbeing support for all employees and their families, including phone and face to f
Europe - Sound system manufacturer Nexo is teaming up with asset financing specialists Medialease to launch new funding projects in Europe. The financial solutions will be available to venues, rental companies and system integrators and will use local funding partners appropriate for the end user client.
The option to use finance will enable Nexo clients to access the performance, operational and commercial benefits inherent in an investment in Nexo technology whilst managing their costs and cashflow monthly, rather than as a cap-ex project, says the manufacturer.
Initial engagement will be through local Nexo country or regional contacts, who will then engage Medialease and their team.
“Finance is driving technology change across all sectors, and we’re delighted to be working with an established industry leader such as Nexo to offer this option,” comments Medialease business development director Paul Donkin.
Nexo sales and marketing director Gareth Collyer says, “It’s great to be working with a partner that understands the unique requirements of customers in each of the industry sectors we serve. We’re confident that this new funding program will deliver real value for our customers.”
Freedom Orchestra - An orchestra of Ukrainian refugees will take centre stage at this year's Proms, alongside concerts by Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Cynthia Erivo. The newly-formed Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra features players who recently fled the war, alongside Ukrainian musicians from European orchestras.
Ukraine is granting an exemption to the military-age male musicians, allowing them to leave the country and play. Conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson said they would "honour those who have died". The orchestra will perform at the Proms on 31 July, two weeks after the season launches.
Off Stage - Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella is to close in the West End after a disjointed 12-month run. The musical, which is playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, will close on 12 June, having begun previewing in June 2021. It comes as the creative team of the show prepare to launch the musical on Broadway, where it will preview from February 2023, ahead of a March opening.
Lloyd Webber said in a statement: “I am incredibly proud of Cinderella. Not only did it get some of the best reviews of my career, but we led the charge to reopen the West End, ensuring that theatre and live entertainment remained relevant and in the news. While mounting a new show in the midst of COVID has been an unbelievable challenge, we held the government’s feet to the flames throughout their changes of heart during the pandemic.”
He added: “Now, I am really excited to get to work putting together a new production with [production company] No Guarantees for Broadw
USA - Behind the Scenes holiday cards have become a tradition in the industry for those who want to spread holiday cheer while supporting their colleagues in need. Proceeds from card sales help provide grants to entertainment technology professionals, or their immediate dependent family members, who are seriously ill or injured, and support the charity’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative.
Each year designs have been created and donated to the charity by everyone from Tony Award winners to high school students. The design guidelines (btshelp.org/carddesign) are very simple and you can also view previous examples (btshelp.org/cardexamples).
If you are interested in designing a card, Behind the Scenes will need your commitment no later than 15 May and your artwork by 15 June. Please contact Lori Rubinstein at info@btshelp.org or 212-244-1421.