UK - Britannia Row Productions Training (BRPT) has been awarded £152,000 as part of the UK government’s £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) announced by the Culture Secretary to help face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure they have a sustainable future.
Britannia Row Productions Training is one of 2,049 cultural and creative organisations across the country to have been awarded £409m of urgently needed support (up to 24 October 2020). The Culture Recovery Fund grants programme is being administered by the Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Further rounds of funding in the cultural and heritage sector are due to be announced over the coming weeks.
BRPT was founded in 2012 to provide holistic training for those wanting to enter the live events industry as live audio technicians. Courses available from colleges and universities are not targeted enough for this niche sector, making it hard for graduates to enter the workplace as invariably a certain amount of re-training is required. Furthermore, these institutions tend to lag behind with teaching the latest technologies, equipment and working practices.
All BRPT training courses are written, kept up-to-date and delivered by tutors who are industry practitioners working at the top tier of the industry. BRPT has developed and offered a range of courses which have allowed for part-time study through to intensive full-time courses and
UK - Arts Council England has opened its £18m Developing your Creative Practice (DYCP) fund to a wider pool of creative practitioners in light of the COVID-19 effects on the workforce.
Able to apply for a grant this year will be DJs, performer/creators, arts and cultural educators, community practitioners/engagement specialists, movement directors, cultural conservators, creative enablers and creative technicians.
“We know that COVID-19 has had a significant impact for individuals, and many will need to develop themselves and their work to respond to the new environment,” says the Arts Council. “We want to support as many people as possible to reshape and redefine their work and continue to make a positive impact on creativity and culture.”
The grants, ranging from for £2,000 to £10,000, will be awarded for development activities from practitioners working across music, theatre, dance, visual arts, literature, libraries, combined arts, and museums practice. This includes professional development or researching or creating new work.
The money will be allocated in four rounds running until October 2021, with the first round now open to applicants. To be eligible, practitioners need to have one year’s experience, be based in England, have a UK bank account, and be aged 18 or over.
The first round closes at noon on 5 November, with decisions announced in the week commencing 21 December.
To apply, visit artscouncil.org.uk/DYCP.
Japan - Established in 1995, All Creation is a professional construction team that provides stage setup, LED assembly, lighting installation, TV, movie set assembly, and other event services.
The collaboration between All Creation and Prolyte dates back to 15 years ago. At that time, bolts were the mainstream for connecting truss flange surfaces, and work would not progress without an impact driver. “However, Prolyte truss is easy to be connected by a hammer, and I was surprised and interested in the overwhelmingly fast assembly speed without worrying about forgetting to tighten the bolts,” says Koichi Okajima, CEO of All Creation.
Back in the day, there was a concern about the lack of experienced engineers in Japan. Safety issues and personnel training were the most discussed topics in All Creation. More importantly, they are the present and future subjects to be taken care of. "Using Prolyte products, I realised that not only can these problems be solved, but also the construction time can be shortened. Partnering with Prolyte helps us reduce cost; the costs in all perspectives. This is one of the reasons I choose Prolyte.
“In addition, next to the outstanding product that drives this partnership, the biggest reason is the close communication between Eddie and all the staff in Prolyte. They answered all our questions and fulfilled our requests sincerely and patiently by conducting multiple meetings. I look forward to continuing to improve my knowledge of products and expand Prolyte’s market presence in Japan.”
Eddie Slotboom, proj
UK - A new, Generation 3 shackle from Broadweigh is set to be released this week. It will incorporate a Smart Sleep mode, which protects battery life and bandwidth by only kicking into fast transmission when it detects an anomaly.
Tom Lilly, applications engineer at Broadweigh says: "With the new Smart Sleep, you can optimise your battery life and still monitor the load. If the load is stable, there is often no reason to monitor at a fast rate. You only really need to know when something changes. Smart Sleep monitors at a slow rate and compares the current reading with the last. If the difference is greater than the level set, then it will switch into fast mode until the load stabilises again.
“However, if you want to monitor at the fast rate you can still wake the modules using LOG100 or a handheld. This allows you to monitor at the fast rate when you know that something is going to chance, such as when a lift is happening."
The third-generation shackle is also paired with a Broadweigh designed bow which has undergone rigorous testing over the summer. The bow comes in black as standard and has been treated in a process called Tufftride which is a surface heat treatment involving a salt bath nitrocarburising treatment carried out at around 580°C for short periods of time. This produces a hard-wearing surface which increases corrosion resistance, increases wear resistance and improves fatigue strength.
The shackle also features a ‘one- swipe’ power cycle which completely removes the need to open the battery enclosure when hard pairing.
Europe - Registration is now open for Prolyte’s first free webinar. Taking placer next Wednesday 21 October (11:00 CEST), Eric Laanstra outlines the strengths of Prolyte trusses with the focus on multipurpose series.
Eric will also cover in his 60 minutes webinar topics about truss in all its aspects; from strength in connection methods, forces, design methods and interpretation of numbers.
Says Prolyte, “To achieve the number one customer satisfaction is always part of our philosophy. Save your seat and invite your friends and partners for the first Prolyte webinar. We will provide you the first-class education in the field of trussing and rigging.”
Europe - Prolyte has appointed Sound light and system (SLS), a sales partner for the company since 2014, as its new distributor in Portugal.
Established in 2014, SLS provides complete solutions for the professional audio and lighting market in Portugal.
“With the development of the market during these uncertain times, it is reassuring to have a strong trustable partner to further deliver high-end quality products and structural solutions that are in increasing demand in Portugal,” says Prolyte manager William Voskuil.
Rui Nunes, SLS CEO, comments: "We’ve worked with Prolyte for years now and we firmly believe that Prolyte is in fact the best truss solution for the Portuguese market. Being a well-recognised and known brand, Prolyte is ahead of its game in the market, as it is not only used and trusted by everyone but also recognized for its potential to lead. Prolyte has always offered us an excellent, tech-savvy product line, and we’re more than excited to be an official distributor of the Prolyte family. We at SLS look forward to working together with Prolyte and create amazing things together.”
Voskuil adds: "It is always a pleasure to work with SLS, and the growth of this relationship is publicly recognised with this transition up the ladder. SLS being our latest official distributor in Portugal strengthens our worldwide network, while increasing the availability of Prolyte's wide ranges of products across Portugal and the world.
“Rui Nunes is an industry professional and we are delighted to continue our magnificent work
UK - British manufacturer Le Mark has focused its resources on developing products that can help studios and cultural institutions adhere to social distancing guidelines through the use of clear protective screens.
The company released in the summer a vinyl screen that is suitable for enclosed spaces and provides protection against sneeze and cough droplets. Known now as the GIG-Screen, it has found use in rehearsal spaces and with the reopening of universities, demand for the product has only increased.
Stuart Gibbons, MD of Le Mark, explains: “Like many others, we had to turn our hands to the development of many new and unexpected products, to both sustain and keep employed as many of our ‘stitchers and sewing’ team as we could. We started to produce a simple self-assembly use and demount clear screen, now known as the GIG-Screen. From a small amount leaving Le Mark in the summer, we are now producing 60-70 a week, many destined for schools and drama studios and recently, the excellent Central School of Speech and Drama.”
Designed for smaller venues where space is limited, the GIG-Screen has an easy-to-clean transparent PVC screen, which is attached to durable metal frame that is placed on lockable castor wheels for ease of transport. The product can be assembled in two minutes according to the company and measures 122.5cm x 188.5cm (4ft x 6’2).
Gibbons concludes: “We will continue to do our bit for our wonderful industry - the GIG-Screen is heavily price-supported to make it as affordable as possible. For larger clients that wan
South Africa - Rokunda Netshiluvhi of DirectorRo has managed to ride the COVID-19 wave and come out tops, using this time to learn, establish himself as a lighting designer and set up a virtual platform at Vision View Productions based in Cosmo Business Park, Johannesburg.
Rokunda resigned from full-time employment at rental company Murangi Productions and started his own company as a freelancer in November 2019. “I decided to register myself as a business so that I could be accountable in everything I do,” he explains. “If freelancers pay attention, they can do what I’m doing. It starts off by thinking of yourself as a business instead of living hand-to-mouth.
“Many freelancers rely on receiving a phone call and being booked for an event. They think that to get work, someone has to call, instead of thinking let me try and make something myself, let me pitch an idea to people, let me do something for myself. If work can’t come to you, find work. For people to trust and take you seriously, present yourself as a business, ensure you have a business profile and have a voice outside your personal self that will enable you to work for a company or event.”
With gratitude to his former employer, Murangi Productions, where Rokunda worked since 2016 as an audio engineer and a self-taught lighting designer with an interest in technical directing, Rokunda established DirectorRo.
Working as hard as possible to make an income, Rokunda pushed hard. More work trickled through in January, and then, just as his calendar started filling up with bo
World - In a collective show of solidarity, live events professionals from all corners of the world held peaceful demonstrations to once again raise awareness of the dire effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector and its workforce.
The #WeMakeEvents #StandAsOne Global Day of Action held yesterday, 30 September, was the single largest coordinated global event to take place since the campaign launched in the summer.
Just as with the regional events that preceded it, the demo saw thousands of cultural buildings being lit up in red, whilst the #WeMakeEvents and #LightItInRed hashtags trended on social media.
Campaigners have continued to push for state support for an industry that’s been unable to resume sustainably due to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. After more than six months of uncertainty, the future of a once-thriving sector and its workforce has been further threatened as a second spike in cases has seen restrictive measures being re-introduced by governments.
A raft of celebrities and artists endorsed the campaign, including Coldplay, Radiohead, Elbow, Mumford & Sons, Melanie C, Noel Gallagher and His High Flying Birds, James Bay, Frank Turner, Keane, The Libertines, Faithless, Massive Attack, The Happy Mondays, Biffy Clyro, Madness, Fatboy Slim, Skunk Anansie, and many more.
Glastonbury Festival’s Emily Eavis also shared a message of support: "Right now, tens of thousands of people who carry the UK's hugely successful live music and events industry are out of work, through absolutely no fault of their own. The m
World - The #WeMakeEvents campaign has been ramping up activity in order to highlight how the global live events industry urgently needs to get back to work. Over 30 million people in 25 countries would usually work in the events industry, but with social distancing measures in place, there is no possibility of a financially viable return for the foreseeable future.
Over the past weeks, events have happened around the world - including in the US, Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, Spain and the UK - to raise awareness of those impacted in the event supply chain, from manufacturers, production companies, catering, transport, security and others, to the huge freelance community that works within the industry.
The majority of the industry has had no income since the beginning of the crisis in March, and with a global second wave of COVID-19 imminent, a date to return to work has become impossible to predict, leaving many companies and individuals devastated, both financially and personally.
The industry is now joining together as a worldwide force on 30 September for a Global Day of Action. This marks the start of a new phase of the #WeMakeEvents campaign which will continue to alert governments to the disastrous situation the sector faces.
“The situation in Spain is terrible and we’re working very hard to highlight that to our government,” says Juan Jose Villa, from Spanish trade association, AFIAL. “Our event on 17th September got coverage on most of Spain’s regional television and radio stations, and we believe that we have shown ho
UK - PLASA's National Rigging Certificate assessments have resumed following a postponement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Assessments have already been delivered successfully earlier this month at Unusual Rigging's HQ in Bugbrooke with stringent COVID measures in place. These measures are under constant review and will reflect the current government guidelines moving forward.
Robin Elias, NRC Centre manager at Unusual Rigging, comments: "We are pleased to be able to resume our NRC assessments once again and to report back that those which have run to date have been extremely successful with feedback from candidates extremely positive."
He adds: "Our main priority right now is to reschedule dates for all those who had their assessments postponed due to the pandemic and to ensure they get the opportunity to complete their assessments. However, we know that the NRC certification is extremely popular and as such we will be looking to add more level two and level three dates to the calendar to meet demand.”
Potential candidates should register their interest at www.plasa.org/nrc-registration.
UK - PLASA, the lead association for the events and entertainment technology industry, has announced PLASA Online 2020, a programme of free online content running from 12 to 16 October. Designed to provide industry professionals with the knowledge and confidence needed to navigate the COVID-crisis and prepare for what’s next in live events and entertainment, the week-long online event will consist of a curated selection of keynote talks, panel discussions, product presentations and technical sessions. Thought-leaders and business experts will address the most pertinent issues such as the COVID crisis, Brexit, technological innovations, and safety regulations.
Additionally, leading brands from audio, lighting and AV will present their latest products and solutions, including: Adam Hall, DiGiCo, ETC, Highlite, Signify, Sound Technology and Vectorworks. “These sessions offer a fantastic opportunity to discover the latest technology in preparation for when live events resume,” says PLASA.
James Simpson, LSi journalist and lighting visualiser for Copper Candle, will present the best in virtual theatre and live event experiences. He will explain how you can use your existing skills in this emerging sector and will demonstrate his new virtual theatre platforms which he hopes will become the future of virtual theatre.
Award-winning speaker Marcus Child will address how industry professionals can build resilience and lead in times of challenges. Marcus’s impressive reputation as a speaker spans 18 years in which he has helped thousands of CEOs
UK - Unusual Rigging's work as designers and installers at English National Ballet's new HQ on London's City Island has been recognised as the building, delivered by Glenn Howells Architects has won the prestigious AJ100 Building of the Year award 2020.
The building was chosen ahead of eight other finalists and recognises the finest building completed by an AJ100-listed practice in the last 12 months. In choosing the ENB, the judges said three key aspects made the £36m project stand out from the impressive shortlist with one judge commenting on the range of functions accommodated by the building, which Glenn Howells has managed to pack on to relatively tight site 'with an almost Rubik's Cube-like stack of dance spaces slotted within'.
These include a suite of rehearsal studios and a full sized theatre space with stage and fly tower to accommodate full dress rehearsals in-house, together with all the ancillary studio and administration spaces and facilities needed to support the company's national touring programme. Everything from a tutu room to a loading bay for HGVs is provided.
Mark Priestley, head of capital projects at Unusual, comments: "This is a well deserved win for Glenn Howells Architects and of course we are thrilled to have been such an integral part of the process which led to the delivery of such a fine venue.
“This project broke new ground for Unusual as we were employed by ENB first and foremost to consult on this project. We then won the tender through BW Workplace Interiors to carry out the technical fit out. We also work
UK - The #WeMakeEvents campaign aims to raise awareness around the current plight of the live entertainments sector and its urgent need for financial support if it is to support the COVID-19 crisis.
Last month, it was announced that it would be steered by a collective of industry trade bodies, businesses and freelancers; all working in collaboration with each other. Over the past few weeks, the team has continued to build momentum around the campaign, working endlessly to rally the government for much needed support.
Following last month’s Day of Action which saw buildings across the UK lit up in red as a show of support, the #WeMakeEvents team has been busy capitalising on the extensive media coverage and attention this received. One of those involved is White Light’s managing director Bryan Raven, who comments: “The Day of Action was vitally important for our cause as it finally got people talking.
“There were a few government figures who weren’t particularly listening to our concerns prior to this and didn’t fully appreciate the scale of the crisis we are in. That certainly seems to have changed now and, whilst it may appear that the campaign has been slightly quieter for the past few weeks, this is only due to us putting all of our energies into the various meetings and surveys we’ve had to conduct to ensure the campaign continues to gain momentum.”
Activities over the last few weeks include meetings with political advisors, who are helping to formulate precise action points of the campaign’s next steps, as well as coll
UK - Unusual Rigging has shared the sad news that electrical and design engineer Paul Taylor - known affectionately as PT - lost his battle with cancer on 17th August 2020. He was 64.
A statement from Robin Elias on the company’s blog reads: “PT started his ‘Unusual years’ in March 1988. He joined the company because he felt that as he was now a family man, he should have a quiet 9-5 job! It did not quite turn out like that. He soon became one of the foundation stones of the company. PT was a pioneer in the field of automation and quickly established his position as our Electrics & Automation Guru.”
Elias continues: “He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Theatre and Automation and was happy to pass on his knowledge and expertise. In an atmosphere of impossible deadlines and challenging problems, none of us can remember PT ever raising his voice. He retained a serene disposition and a dry sense of humour.”
“During the 2012 Olympics, PT spent his time raising the flags for the swimming event medallists. People would ask him the daftest questions. One day he gave into his dry wit and advised someone who had asked what the big red button was for (the emergency stop), that it was to empty the pool if any of the swimmers were in distress. Satisfied that they now had insider knowledge they wandered off happily.”
“One project PT was particularly proud of involved programming and operating the automation desk for New York aerial choreographer Elizabeth Streb, for the cultural events leading up to the 2012 Olympics. He managed, a
UK - Initially launched by PLASA in response to calls from its membership, the #WeMakeEvents campaign aims to raise awareness around the current plight of the live events sector and how it urgently needs financial support in order to survive the COVID-19 crisis. The initial response resulted in a collective Day of Action on 11 August, with creative expressions across the country, including over 700 buildings lit up in red and other activities that culminated with 4,000 socially distanced event professionals lining bridges and the bankside of the Thames, expressing their need for support with the red alert theme. (Read extensive coverage of the Red Alert day of action in LSi September – out now!)
In order to represent all those in the communities that #WeMakeEvents represents, PLASA is now announcing that the campaign has moved into total independence, steered by a collective of industry trade bodies, including PLASA, businesses and freelancers who are all working together to ensure it receives as much awareness as possible. The success of the initial activity has led to a global movement, with organisations from around the world coming together in a spirit of mutual support and solidarity.
This next stage in the campaign will be known as ‘Stand as One’ – taken from the newly released song and now campaign anthem, written and performed by Joe Bygraves, who has generously agreed to do
UK - Taking place on a purpose-built site on the beach next to Brighton’s Palace Pier, The Warren Outdoor Season opened earlier this month, offering a range of live comedy, theatre, cabaret and family shows. Having supported the Brighton Fringe at The Warren for over five years, White Light was called upon to supply the lighting, rigging and power equipment for this new season, which is one of the first to open following the outbreak of COVID-19.
The Warren is a pop-up, multi-purpose site which consists of four venue spaces and four bar areas. Annually, it hosts Brighton Fringe festival events. As with so many other live performances, the outbreak of COVID-19 saw the cancellation of this year’s festival. As such, Otherplace Productions, the team who run The Warren, decided to look for an alternative, safe way to put on live entertainment.
Joshua Carr, technical director at Otherplace Productions, comments: “We were all incredibly disappointed when we had to cancel the festival back in March. Not only was it a blow for the city in terms of culture but also the economy, as it employed over 250 people. That said, we knew that it was in the public’s interest and we had to abide with government guidelines. It soon dawned on us though that social distancing wasn’t going away anytime soon and, as such, decided to look at ways in which performances could happen with this in place. We knew this would need to be outside and, after speaking to the local authority, put together an outdoor concept which would be situated next to our main permanent venue.
UK - PLASA has announced that registration for NRC (National Rigging Certificate) and enrolment for NELT (National Event Lifting Training) have re-opened following a short period of closure due to the pandemic. All NRC Assessment Centres and NELT Training Centres will re-open from September and will be completely COVID-compliant.
“This positive move will enable candidates who registered for the NRC before the COVID-19 lockdown to resume their pathway to certification,” says PLASA. “Furthermore, these NRC candidates have been given an extra 12 months to complete their assessment.”
NELT, which launched in May 2019, provides training for professionals who select and use lifting equipment commonly found throughout the events and entertainment industries. NRC is a recognised qualification for anyone actively working as a rigger in the industry.
Assessment dates and locations for NRC assessments and NELT are now available online.
www.plasa.org/nrc
www.plasa.org/nelt
USA - Inspired by efforts in the UK, mainland Europe and South Africa, the US live events industry is set to host its own #WeMakeEvents ‘Red Alert’ day of action on 1 September.
Using the hashtags #WeMakeEvents #RedAlertRESTART and #ExtendPUA to gain momentum, the move represents a major call to action on Tuesday, 1 September, imploring the US Congress to pass the RESTART Act (S.3814) as quickly as possible, offering economic relief to America’s live events industry, which has been shuttered since March, 2020, putting millions of people out of work. Additionally, the movement is to support ExtendPUA.org in their efforts towards continuation and extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to provide relief to those without work due to COVID-19.
#WeMakeEvents North American director, Brad Nelms comments: "The group has managed to gather incredible support for this important movement, signing on more than 30 regional directors to lead the initiative in markets nationally. This team have been so fired up and already have commitments from hundreds of incredible venues and iconic locations nationally who will show support."
On 1 September buildings, structures, and residences across the US will be lit in red from 9pm-12am (local time in each market) as the event rolls across North America. The goal to raise public awareness that the live events industry is on ‘Red Alert’ for its very survival, and to create congressional pressure to act now.
#BeAnArtsHero, a grassroots coalition of arts and cultural workers, reports: "The Arts &
UK - A webinar designed to unite the live production industry in developing new working practices for a more sustainable approach has shown a “clear willingness” for change, according to The Sustainability in Production Alliance (SiPA).
The panel discussion, broadcast live on social media channels as well as via a Zoom video meeting, brought together many of the leading companies and individuals who are committed to a more sustainable future for live event production.
The webinar was a collaboration between SiPA, the Association of British Technicians (ABTT) and The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). Top of the agenda was how the industry can use the current hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to create a more sustainable approach to its work.
SiPA’s Carol Scott, principal advocate for sustainability at TAIT and SiPA, was joined by a host of live production industry and environment leaders, including: Jon Bausor - multi-award-winning international stage designer and creative director; Spike Brant - production designer, CEO of Nimblist and advocator of sustainability; Ian Garrett - USITT Memmber and designer with Toasterlab; Huntly Christie - CEO of Christie Lites and Dr Chris Jones, research fellow at University of Manchester who is currently examining the key impact areas of the music industry on the environment.
“The webinar was a great success - the audience engagement was fantastic, with the live stream figures going into the thousands,” says Carol Scott. “There is a clear willingness in our industry to
The Netherlands - The UK’s #WeMakeEvents campaign received support in the Netherlands, where local companies took part in a nationwide Red Alert action under the banner of #WijMakenEvents.
More than 250 buildings across the country were lit in red on the evening of 11 August. The original campaign is a PLASA initiative that was adopted by the VTTE (the Association of Technical Event Suppliers) in the Netherlands.
Trussing, staging and hoist supplier Prolyte participated in the protest action on the night. The event industry and sectors have been at a complete standstill since the very beginning of the coronavirus crisis earlier this year. It has been more than five months, which means there are all costs but no turnover. Despite the government’s support during this period, companies are now on the verge of collapsing.
In order to draw attention to this crisis-like-situation in a peaceful and public-friendly manner, the Prolyte building was illuminated in red at 9pm local time and pulled the plug out exactly at five to 12 (11:55pm). “Together, we hope to get the support packages for the event industries extended and a clearer prospect is outlined until we can go back to work normally without the 1.5m restrictions. Without this commitment, a large number of companies will end up going bankrupt and employees will end up on the street,” says Prolyte.
“Politicians need to wake up and understand that if nothing happens, the entire event sector is in danger of disappearing.”
UK - The UK events industry proudly came together in a show of solidarity under the #WeMakeEvents campaign banner yesterday (11 August) to ask the government to ‘throw us a line’ in the form of on-going and increased financial support.
As part of the movement, over 715 buildings across the UK lit up in red to symbolise the imminent danger over one million people in the live events industry face unless the government provides additional financial support.
20 of the UK’s biggest cities hosted events to raise awareness of the struggling supply chain that facilitates events across the country. From the Minnack Theatre Cornwall to The Queen’s Hall Edinburgh, Principality Stadium Cardiff and the Millennium Forum Northern Ireland, the message was spread far and wide – the situation is urgent. In Manchester, 200 technicians pushed redundant flightcases through the city centre as part of their protest, observing COVID-19 safety protocols at all times.
The capital’s finale began aboard a boat at 20:30, which made its way down the Thames - passing iconic buildings including the Royal Festival Hall, the London Eye, the National Theatre and the Tate all illuminated in emergency red. Some 4000 socially distanced supporters dressed in red lined the banks of the Thames and bridges including the Millennium Bridge and Jubilee Bridge to further drive the message home.
Level 42 frontman Mark King and folk singer Frank Turner performed on the boat, both expressing the importance of their skilled crews. The call to action focused on raising awareness
Canada - Broadweigh is once again the load monitoring system of choice for City Folk Festival 2020. The event is currently scheduled to take place on The Great Lawn at Landsdowne Park in Ottawa between the 17-20 September, but the situation is being evaluated in line with the continuing COVID-19 crisis.
This multi-day celebration of music, dance and community, features an eclectic mix of musical performances on various stages. Over the years, the event has played host to the likes of Robert Plant, Hozier, David Byrne, Jack Johnson, Van Morrison and Lorde and also features an offshoot event called Marvest – free concerts featuring emerging talent, held in local businesses.
Paradigm Rigging has worked on the event since 2018 and Michael Sorowka, MD of Paradigm explains: “I was brought on board by Scott Pollard, technical director with City Folk Festival. We’ve worked together on various projects since 2012. For City Folk we’ve been contracted to provide load monitoring on all hung points within the festival, between the Stageline main stage as well as a B Stage inside Aberdeen Pavilion (a historical exposition hall adjacent to the main stage). Windspeed monitoring has also been requested on the outdoor main stage to allow continuous read outs inside the production office located directly behind the main stage.”
Sorowka continues: “Outdoor stages always pose a heightened risk towards high winds. The biggest challenge is that, as with any outdoor festival, there are many moving parts to co-ordinate, including making sure weights hung within
UK - On 11 August (Tuesday), the live events industry across the UK will come together in solidarity to host a series of protests to help save the live events and entertainment sector, which is on the verge of collapsing without financial support from the government.
Encouraged by the #WeMakeEvents and #LightItInRed campaigns, hundreds of venues are expected to light up red, along with other creative activities being staged in over 20 cities across the UK to symbolise the industry going into red alert, and a final call to action titled ‘throw us a line’ will be taking centre stage on London’s South Bank.
The capital’s finale will begin on a boat at 20:20, as it makes it way down the Thames - passing Royal Festival Hall, the National Theatre and the Tate, and more all illuminated in emergency red. As the boat reaches key locations, such as Westminster Bridge and Jubilee Bridge, hundreds of volunteers will symbolise the ‘throw us a line’ theme creatively.
The call to action hopes to raise awareness for over a million professionals at risk of losing their jobs, 600,000 of whom deliver outdoor events. With around 70% of the workforce being freelance, the imminent closure of the self-employed income support scheme at the end of the month threatens their livelihood.
Unlike other industries, events, festivals, and performances have been unable to safely reopen due to social distancing guidance and may not reopen until early 2021 – and opening times keep being pushed back. With no government support on the horizon for the event supply ch