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

UK - Peerless-AV has announced the schedule of Tech Talks at this year’s AV Showcase at Lord’s, 16-17 May 2023. In these technical sessions, showcase vendors will present key innovations and complete solutions with forward-looking market insights, product competencies and real-life examples of successful installations. Those registering and attending the two-day event will be in with the chance of winning Ashes tickets at Lord’s this Summer.
The event is focused on leveraging and building valued partner relationships and delivering all-important training and networking opportunities to ensure a successful, productive two days for end user and reseller visitors.
“The demand for technical knowledge and information is on the rise, which is why we’ve worked closely with our exhibiting brands to bring a compelling and varied line-up of professional speakers and in

UK - White Light has recently added new ETC fixtures and consoles to its rental inventory including 50 Halcyon Titanium moving lights with Ultra-Bright engines.
The Halcyon range – which consists of the Gold, Titanium and Platinum – is the powerful, latest addition to ETC’s family of automated fixtures. Engineered to fit into any design, these new framing luminaires offer increased output at a reduced cost and weight. Halcyon Titanium outputs at 40,000 lumens and is packed full of features, a big zoom range and a best-in-class colour system. It was selected as a good all-round fixture for WL’s hire stock, meeting a broad range of their client’s requirements for a modern LED moving light.
WL has also invested in ETC’s ColorSource Spot V and Source Four LED Series 3 fixtures as well as Eos Apex 10 consoles and Eos Apex 24K Processors. The Apex consoles are ET

UK - Marsh McLennan, insurance broker and risk adviser, made the decision last year to move their office out of Norwich city centre to create a more flexible working space to meet the needs of evolving hybrid working patterns.
Since the pandemic began, workplaces are adapting to meet these new requirements, and in this case Marsh McLennan approached Insight Visual Systems to lead the project. The space was completely refurbished with furniture, and audio-visual technology equipment, sourced from Audiologic.
Matthew McGill from Insight says: “We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver a bespoke service that reflects our client’s identity, whilst also resonating with their values. For this project we needed to provide a seamless AV experience that met Marsh McLennan’s global AV standards to ensure consistency across their regional offices. As our audio supplier,

Germany - Known for her spectacularly acrobatic shows, Helene Fischer kicked off her 71-date Live 2023 tour on 11 April at Barclays Arena Hamburg for a 15-city run through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and the Netherlands. Although Solotech has long provided technological solutions globally, this is among the first times Solotech’s Live Productions Division, Europe, provides a complete 360-degree solution in Germany.
Produced by Live Nation and created by Cirque du Soleil, the tour comprises multi-night mini-residencies, with audio, lighting and video production needs provided including L-Acoustics’ new compact and powerful L Series line source array. Additionally, Solotech provided Avid S6L and Yamaha consoles, wireless in-ear/microphone packages, Roe Visual Vanish 8T LED panels, robotic cameras, a full lighting rig, and other related infrastructure.
Significa

Singapore - Located 11 floors above the Vista Exchange district, atop the celestial inspired Star Performing Arts Centre, The Star Loft offers breathtaking views from its interior space and enchanting rooftop terrace. This panorama, however, was not the only impressive site that visitors to Chauvet’s Singapore Open House got to enjoy in early April. The two-day event treated guests to an array of innovative, new products from Chauvet Professional and its sister brands, including Kino Flo and ChamSys.
Featured in this lineup was the Color STRIKE M motorised strobe, along with the Maverick Storm 4 Profile and Storm 2 Profile, COLORado PXL Bar 16 and PXL Bar 8, the STRIKE Array 2, STRIKE Array 4, the Rogue Outcast 3 Spot, and more.
Kino Flo was represented with products such as the Free Style Air, while ChamSys showcased the MagicQ Stadium Connect, MagicQ MQ70 and QQ2

Europe - French loudspeaker manufacturer, Focal, continues its push into the custom installation (CI) and commercial sectors by partnering with specialist AV distributor, CUK Group, to supply and support its full range of integration products in the UK.
Focal's integration offering has expanded significantly in recent years, with the launch of the Littora outdoor and marine range, and the growth of its in-wall loudspeaker line, which now mirrors the performance levels of its hi-fi offering, through to the 1000 Series Utopia models, which feature signature Focal technologies such as 'W' composite cones and beryllium tweeters.
Although the ink is still drying on the partnership agreement, there is already a wealth of Focal knowledge within CUK Group as CI channel manager, Phil Roe, explains: “In my previous life as an integrator, I have had the pleasure of demonstratin

UK - By 2027, more than 100m AA batteries will have been saved from landfills, according to Shure. The number is based on data calculations from customers worldwide in music production, theatre, touring, education, business, government, houses of worship, and more.
With previous technology, disposable batteries were used to power microphones and transmitter packs. And audio engineers would frequently replace batteries – even when those batteries still had power – to ensure an uninterrupted performance with fresh batteries.
However, new innovation from Shure has converted those products to rechargeable options, creating significantly less waste. In fact, for David’s Byrne’s American Utopia Broadway show, the monitor engineer estimated they saved about 21,000 AA batteries from being disposed of in landfills because they used Shure’s rechargeable system

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 w

USA - At the 21st Parnelli Awards in Anaheim, Bandit Lites was once again named Lighting Company of the Year and Michael T. Strickland accepted the honour.
“Bandit is again humbled to be so honoured by the industry we love so much,” stated Bandit founder and chair Michael T. Strickland. “To have our peers bestow this honour upon us is amazing. Everyone at Bandit works tirelessly each day to allow our clients to ‘experience excellence’, and that is what drives us.
“The number of great firms in this industry makes the win even more special,” he continued. “Bandit will always go to extra lengths to assure the highest quality of service and people in the industry. And speaking of people, I wish to thank the entire Bandit family for making this happen. Without them, there is no Bandit.”
This is the eighth Parnelli Award for Bandit Lites, who has bee

USA - There are things you will always see at a Parker McCollom show, like the rising young country star getting down close and personal to interact with fans. From the moment he walks out on stage, the ACM’s New Male Country Artist of the year, puts things in high gear with his melodic voice, rolling out a welcome mat for fans, inviting them to get up to dance and sing-along.
Such a warm, embracing mood lends itself to being supported by an inviting tungsten-like glow of light, believes McCollom’s lighting director, Alex Sanchez. And that’s precisely what the Texas-born star is getting on tour with a Chris Lisle lighting design that often immerses the star and his band in an evocative amber glow created with Chauvet Professional fixtures.
“I personally love using ambers,” said Sanchez. “They warm up the stage beautifully and looks great in photos. This yea

South Africa - Cape Town-based Oakhill Church, formerly known as Durbanville Family Church, has invested in a Waves eMotion LV1 and DiGiGrid portable desk from DWR Distribution. The church was established 20 years ago by Louise and Lizette Du Piesanie and has become a place people call home. The volunteer-driven worship ministry is part of the glue that creates community, and Oakhill Music released its first single in 2022.
Chris Truter is a software engineer and volunteer at Oakhill Church, and as part of the audio industry from a young age, he has always kept his eye on DiGiCo which is how he discovered Waves in the first place. For some years, Chris had been using Waves in his studio, but wanting to keep up with technology, he pitched the idea of Waves eMotion and received a resounding "yes" from everyone on the team.
The church technical team, mostly volunteers, ar

UK - A celebration of Mike Oldfield’s landmark debut album Tubular Bells, the Tubular Bells 50th-anniversary tour has recently finished up its UK concert circuit.
Released in 1973, Tubular Bells gained critical acclaim, going on to become the highest-selling instrumental album of all time following its use as the instantly recognisable soundtrack to The Exorcist. The concert tour, conducted and arranged by Oldfield’s long-term collaborator, Robin Smith, featured the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, who performed the entire album in sold-out venues across the UK in the Spring of 2023.
A full EM Acoustics system, consisting of HALO and EMS series loudspeakers accompanied the tour and was deployed in a total of 32 venues over the course of two months.
AV installation and rental company Show Works became involved in the project during the initia

USA - Having upgraded the MARC Theatre in Salt Lake City with a Martin Audio Wavefront Precision system in time for the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, cinema specialists DBPC again turned to the Martin Audio catalogue this year to find a solution for another of the event’s theatres.
Due to the pandemic, 2023 marked the event’s first staging in front of a live audience since 2020, the year that DBPC was formed by Dan Beedy, a long-term member of the event’s technical crew (and latterly project manager), and another Sundance veteran, Ben VanDonkelaar. They have been tasked with systematically upgrading sound systems used in the event’s theatres to keep pace with the fast-moving advances of digital screen technology.
While the Boston, MA-based specialists were tasked with fitting out all Sundance cinema spaces this year (working with Sundance Institute technical dir

Portugal - Europalco and Vallis Capital Partners have announced ‘a capital partnership’ between the two organisations.
This partnership will allow Europalco to continue its growth, through regional expansion and business segments. This partnership is based on constant innovation and the introduction of new features in the market, which are already characteristics of how Europalco is viewed in the sector, says a joint statement.
“The partnership with Vallis Capital Partners is a new stage in Europalco's development,” says Pedro Magalhães, founder and CEO of Europalco. “We will continue with the same identity and culture that characterises Europalco, offering our customers the most innovative solutions in terms of events and shows, allowing us to participate in projects of great dimension and renown nationwide and internationally. Investing in new technologies

UK - The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) has announced nominees in the final four categories of their 2023 awards: Television Drama; Factual Film; Production Hardware or Software Audio Product and Post-Production Hardware or Software Audio Product.
Founded in 1989, AMPS is a UK-based craft guild made up of over 500 creative talents working in the field of sound for film, television and games.
Now in their 10th year, the AMPS Awards are presented annually for excellence in sound and are voted on by the whole of the AMPS voting membership.
“This year’s nominees exemplify what can be accomplished when sound craft and storytelling work in perfect harmony. Through their commitment to quality, they have created work that sets the highest standard of excellence in motion picture sound,” says Andrew Wilson, recently re-elected chair of AMPS
The f

Canada - Quebec’s KOTV is wrapping up the first season of Zenith, a new concept in live musical competition broadcast by Radio Canada, where song stars of different ages fight for the votes of an audience of 100 judges representing four generations. Lighting designer Martin Labrecque selected Ayrton Zonda 9 FX fixtures for the show in what is believed to be their first TV broadcast appearance. ACT Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Ayrton lighting in North America and Eric Belanger is the show’s lighting programmer.
Zenith aims to unite viewers from the Baby Boomer generation and Generations X, Y and Z in front of the small screen. Each week four well-known singers cover hits from yesterday and today in a battle to get the most votes from a studio audience of 100 representing those same generational demographics. The audience is divided into four

UK - Manchester Opera House has recently replaced its in-house followspots by purchasing two Robert Juliat Arthur LT 800W LED followspots from White Light.
Arthur LT is a long-throw version of the original Arthur followspot with a narrower beam (4°-10° zoom range) and an output that exceeds that of an HMI 2500W followspot. It has an enhanced light quality with a CRI >94 and a sound level that is quieter than any of its discharge rivals, all of which helps to ensure Arthur LT is as suitable for theatres as for concerts or big arenas.
The Arthur LT units replaced Manchester Opera House’s aging Cyrano followspots which had given a good 15 years of service at the busy venue.
White Light’s business development manager, Jonathan Haynes, first introduced Arthur LT to Stuart Graham, head of technical operations at the Ambassador’s Theatre Group, owners of Manc

USA - Building an oasis within an oasis is no easy feat, especially when you are constrained with tight deadlines. For integrator PAC Audio, it knew it had to meet high expectations when the company was brought in to install the audio system in a new high- rise apartment complex in Waikiki, Hawaii. To deliver a reliable and flexible system on budget and on time, PAC Audio took a chance on LEA Professional.
Lilia Waikiki is a vibrant mixed-use development in the heart of Waikiki, one of Hawaii’s most well-known destinations for retail, lodging, dining and commercial entertainment. Opened in 2022, the 28-story residential tower features over 400 apartment units and over 40,000sq.ft of neighbourhood-serving retail.
Pacific Audio & Communications (PAC) was brought in to supply audio intelligibility within the common spaces of the complex such as the entrance lobby,

The Netherlands - For 18 days this winter, Het Amterdames Winterparadijs turned RAI Amsterdam into an enchanted world that filled 38,000sq.m of indoor space, (plus 5,000sq.m outdoors), with many attractions including a market, massive indoor-outdoor ice-skating rink, snow play area, ferris wheel, apres cross country skiing trail, silent disco, and a variety of food and drink options, as well as on-stage performances by various artists.
Providing the technical production that supported this captivating event, produced by 4PM Entertainment, was Unlimited Productions. For the lighting that was so essential to setting the “winter escape mood” at the attraction, the production specialist relied on over 600 IP65 rated Chauvet Professional fixtures supplied by Splendit.
Having IP65 rated units for the event was essential to Unlimited Productions achieving its vision for

Australia/USA - An epic adventure into art, Dalí Alive was a multisensory encounter with one of the most provocative and influential artists of the twentieth century.
The production dynamically animated the works of Salvador Dalí, providing visitors with the sensation of stepping into the life of the surrealist Spanish master and feeling the redemptive power of his exotic imagination.
The immersive exhibition was created and produced by Grande Experiences, Australia together with its first instalment at The Dalí Museum, St Petersburg, Florida. With over 13,000sq.ft with floor to ceiling projections two-storeys high, the digital gallery featured spatial audio technology and content created by Grande Experiences’ regular immersive audio partner aFX Global.
Des O'Neill, co-founder and sound designer at aFX Global, described the soundscapes in Dalí Alive as be

Hungary - Pop-rock band the Bagossy Brothers Company marked their tenth anniversary with a spectacular concert at Budapest’s MVM Dome recently where a complement of Claypaky lighting fixtures helped deliver an unforgettable experience to a crowd of some 20,000 fans.
The band’s lighting designer Ádám Pintér selected Claypaky Sharpy Plus, Sharpy Plus Aqua, Sharpy, A.leda B-EYE K20 and HY B-EYE K25 fixtures for the rig.
According to Pintér, the basis of his lighting plot was 40 Sharpy Plus and Sharpy Plus Aquas, selected for the versatility of their spot functionality and light beams. “The light and speed of the 24 fixtures placed on the catwalk in front of the stage is still a classic,” he says. “They served as a particularly good effect for the faster, more electronic parts of the show.”
But the real key elements of the show were the 16 HY B-EYE

Slovenia - The Križanke Summer Theatre (Poletno gledališče Križanke) in Ljubljana, is one of the city’s favourite venues, utilised by the city’s Ljubljana Festival in summer, as well as for a variety of concerts and shared with the School of Design and Photography. The 3400 standing / 1400 seated capacity arena is located inside the courtyard of the former Holy Cross Monastery, right at the heart of Slovenia’s capital.
During the pandemic, an elegant new load-bearing tensile fabric roof was installed – this was planned for some time – which facilitates production elements like lighting and sound, as well as providing year-round weather protection. New Robe moving lights were purchased as part of a major upgrade to the house lighting system and a major investment by the municipality.
Križanke did have house lights previously, explained technical manager

Germany - Prolight+Sound is further expanding its range of products and topics for the 2023 event. With the new Future Walk, the show (25 to 28 April 2023, Frankfurt) will offer an interactive area with an experiential character, which will present innovations around networked systems for event technology and broadcast applications.
The focus is on network-based processes that will permanently change the industry in the coming years: from remote production to device-independent workflows and on-demand infrastructures. In addition, the Kamera Hub will celebrate its premiere at Prolight+Sound. It is a central contact point for TV cameramen, presenting innovations in moving image production in specialised exhibitions and inviting visitors to talks and workshops.
To realise the new special areas, Prolight+Sound is cooperating intensively with partners from the industry. Th

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