UK - Outdoor venues, including open-air theatre, opera and music venues, can reopen from 11 July and host socially-distanced performances, the culture secretary Oliver Dowden has announced this afternoon (9 July). This will mean venues will be able to host performances for the first time in 115 days since they were forced to shut on 18 March. "This is an important milestone for our performing arts, which have been waiting patiently since March," Dowden said. "We are taking various measures to make these places safe as they reopen. Venue capacity will be reduced and organisations will be encouraged to move to electronic ticketing to help Test and Trace. But our performing arts deserve an audience and they will be getting one." He added that the government is working to usher audiences indoors as soon as possible and is funding scientific studies to find ways to mit
UK - TSL Lighting joined the Light It In Red campaign on 6 July (Monday), bathing its Gatwick and Basingstoke premises with light as part of the ‘red alert’ initiative lobbying the government to ramp up support for the arts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Light It In Red galvanised the entertainment technology industry to come together to warn that without financial aid, the supply chain for live entertainment and events is threatened. The initiative took place as the government announced a financial aid package worth £1.57bn for the arts after months of pressure. “It’s vital that we show solidarity with industry and raise awareness of the dire situation,” comments TSL’s Loz Wilcox. “The supply chain does so much for theatre, TV and events and it
UK - Martin Audio’s British headquarters in High Wycombe got a dramatic new look as part of Monday night's #LightItInRed campaign, which saw 700 buildings of every kind across the UK lit up in ‘emergency red’ to amplify the voice of the event and entertainment industry during this critical time. Martin Audio’s managing director, Dom Harter, comments: “The live events industry is on a precipice. Unless it receives urgent funding to safeguard its future, the shockwave of the resulting collapse will impact hundreds of thousands of jobs in businesses up and down the country and ultimately have a significant detrimental impact on the culture of Great Britain. “We continue to support all industry parties and partners in this fight. I would also like to offer my thanks to Nigel Meddemmen, our in-house lighting specialist, and Sophie Hoult for her stunning photogra
UK - SARM Music Bank in northwest London has transformed its rehearsal rooms into COVID-compliant live streaming, recording and session spaces in partnership with local rental specialists, Colour Sound Experiment. Each studio now has a fully equipped, modular and scalable lighting, video and multi camera system ready to go. FOH, monitor and broadcast mixing are taken care of in house. Dedicated leased line broadband along with Source Connect is available if needed, and a suite of breakout rooms including dressing room, artist lounge, manager's office, interview rooms and a kitchenette are part of each studio. Each step of the process has been carefully considered to ensure that artists and crew can operate safely, from a socially distanced chauffeur to contactless catering options. Haydn Cruickshank, managing director of Colour Sound Experiment, was contacted b
Canada - Green Hippo has appointed DataVisual as its exclusive distributor for Canada. Ottawa-based DataVisual will add Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Media Server product range to its comprehensive AV systems portfolio, improving its offering to clients across Canada’s pro-AV marketplace. Having enjoyed a long relationship with Green Hippo’s sister brands Magenta Research and tvONE, DataVisual found the Hippotizer range a “perfect addition” to its technology offering. “The fit between our two organizations has always been very good, as we both place a high value on the service and support required of more technically sophisticated products,” comments DataVisual CEO Lisa Kislich-Lemyre. “The addition of Green Hippo to that family was welcome news. We’ve had a lot of success with tvONE’s video wall processors, but Media Servers were the one piece of
UK - A resource for freelancers working in the performing arts sector has been launched to help drive the community’s bid for further government support. Freelancers Make Theatre Work is described as “an inclusive community for the 20,000+ self-employed and freelance workers from all areas of theatre, opera, dance and live performance”. It has been designed as an information hub for the freelance theatre workforce and will also act as a platform that will communicate the community’s visions and concerns to theatre management, production companies, industry bodies and government. The website is run by a voluntary group comprising Adele Thomas, Andrew Whyment, Beth Steel, Bill Bankes-Jones, Chinonyerem Odimba, Hazel Holder, Neil Austin, Ola Ince, Polly Bennett, Paule Constable, Peter McKintosh, Prema Mehta, Simon Manyonda, Tom Piper and Vicki Mor
Big Birthday - Ringo Starr celebrates his 80th birthday today (7 July), even though it will now be online due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I've got a huge birthday; I am going to be 80,” says Starr. “But I am going to celebrate it a little differently this year from the last 12 years, where we had the peace and love moment at noon.” This annual tradition began in 2008 at a 100-guest gathering for his birthday at the Hard Rock in Chicago. Since then it has expanded to 27 countries, with its epicentre on a big stage in Hollywood. The Beatles drummer celebrates the event with music performances from himself and his friends, in front of 100s of fans. But he had to cancel the event this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he will put on a virtual charity concert on YouTube called Ringo's Big Birthday Show. He'll be joined by Sir Paul McCartney, Joe W
USA - One year on from taking delivery of the world’s first Wavefront Precision Longbow (WPL) system, Richmond, VA’s Soundworks has now switched its entire inventory to Martin Audio, purchasing both 8-inch WPS and 10-inch WPC systems. Founded in 1976 by Steve Payne, Soundworks has long benefited from a working relationship with Southard Audio, led by Mike Southard in neighbouring Harrisonburg, VA. In 2019, the two companies jointly chose Martin Audio for the first time, becoming the first WPL users in the world with each company purchasing 24 WPL cabinets, 12 SXH218 hybrid subs and 12 iKON iK42 amps. “We used WPL for the whole of last season and we were just delighted with it,” says Payne. “We looked forward to every opportunity we had to use it but for smaller events we still had to use a smaller, older system that we had in our inventory. That was hard! We
UK - Last night (6 July), some of the UK’s most iconic venues and landmarks were lit up in ‘emergency red’ as part of the #LightItInRed campaign to draw attention to the critical condition of the live events and entertainment industry. A glimpse of hope was given to Britain’s arts industry on Sunday evening (5 July), as £1.57bn was pledged by the government – yet the supply chain behind the production of live events and festivals, including many freelancers, is still awaiting clarification as to what support they will be offered. Unlike other industries, live theatre, outdoor events, concerts, festivals and performances have been unable to safely resume due to social distancing guidance and other restrictions. Many predict these events may not resume until 2021. The #LightItInRed campaign aims to draw attention to the
UK - Pro audio loudspeaker brand Inspired Audio has announced a major restructuring of its operations in the both the UK and also in Asia. As part of the restructure, co-founder Chris Scott, who left the company at the end of 2018 to establish a production facility and to concentrate on product development has re-joined as both managing director and sole shareholder, while fellow co-founder Gareth Hunt has left the company. Commenting on the restructure Scott says: “My roots have always been in the design and manufacturing side, so leaving to re-engage with that was a natural step for me, although as I was building for Inspired and also designing the latest product for them, in a sense I didn’t really leave. In a similar vein Gareth’s roots have always been in the retail side of the pro audio business, so this restructure see’s Gareth returning to concentrate
UK - PLASA has responded to the UK government’s pledge of £1.57bn funding for the arts with the following statement from its MD, Peter Heath: “While PLASA is pleased to see the government deliver a generous rescue package to arts institutions across the UK, they have only addressed the tip of the iceberg. We hope that the government will announce further support for all the manufacturers, suppliers and freelancers who help make the UK a global leader in events. “Theatres and venues are absolutely essential to the cultural fabric of the UK, however, they only represent the public face of a vast industry. Each arena concert, musical show, arts installation, or corporate event relies on a complex supply chain, often involving hundreds of professionals. To put on a single arena show requires an average of
USA - The Audio Engineering Society’s first Audio Product Education Institute event will address real-world experiences in voice integrated product development with the theme Successful Smart Speakers and Voice-Enabled Products. "Today, some of the most sophisticated voice processing is already in our pockets. Smartphone production numbers are hard to beat in the consumer electronics industry,” says Mike Klasco, CEO, Menlo Scientific, and committee member of the Audio Product Education Institute (APEI), a new AES initiative. “This fiercely competitive market is driving continuous product design improvements, but many companies are also repeating many painful mistakes and are forced to re-learn audio fundamentals long recognized by the audio industry. I’m faced with highly instructive examples of that in my consultancy business,” continues Klasco.
UK - After weeks of relentless campaigning, the British arts sector has been promised a coronavirus bailout worth £1.57bn.
The funding was announced late on Sunday evening, with the UK government stating it represents “the biggest ever one-off investment in UK culture”.
The package includes: - £1.15bn support pot for cultural organisations in England, comprising £880m grants and £270m loans; - £100m of targeted support for the national cultural institutions in England and the English Heritage Trust; - £120m capital investment to restart construction on cultural infrastructure and for heritage construction projects in England; - extra £188m for the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland (£33m), Scotland (£97m) and Wales (£59m).
The news follows the government’s announcement of a roadmap to reopeni
UK - PLASA has announced the postponement of the 2020 PLASA Show due to the COVID-19 crisis. The popular trade event was set to take place on 6-8 September at London Olympia. The Association says in a statement: “It is with great regret that we announce that PLASA Show will not take place at Olympia London from 6-8 September this year due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and uncertainty regarding social distancing and lockdown policies. However, PLASA Show will return to Olympia London in 2021 from 5-7 September and we look forward to seeing you there. “We hope that by the time PLASA Show 2021 comes around the industry will be restored back to full health and we can celebrate with a fantastic ‘come-back’ show, face to face. In the meantime, keep safe and in keep in touch. ” Sophie Atkinson, head of events at PLASA, comments: “It is of cou
USA - With the travel, gathering and distancing restrictions that come with the COVID-19 pandemic, Elation Professional’s sales team and product specialists are demoing some of Elation’s newest lighting products from the comfort and safety of their own homes in a video series called Virtual at Home Demo. Published each week on Elation’s YouTube channel, each video provides an overview of the key features and benefits of some of Elation’s newest lighting products, a demonstration that gives lighting pros an opportunity to assess if a luminaire is right for their needs. Products showcased in the series include the Fuze Spot, Fuze Pendant, Fuze Profile, Fuze SFX, Smarty Max, Artiste Van Gogh, Artiste Monet, Dartz 360, CW Profile HP and WW Profile HP ellipsoidals,
USA - Performance Manager Applications for Concerts & Festivals and Audio Engineering: Setting up a Vocal Template for Recording Sessions Among New Harman Live Workshops scheduled through Mid-July. Other Topics include Basic Introduction to Martin P3, Fixintogetmixin: How to Build Your Best Mix! (Parts 1 & 2) and Rightsizing Esports: Technical Solutions from Schools to Stadia. Available workshops, scheduled through the middle of July, feature lighting or audio experts who have extensive industry knowledge and experience working with various artists including Bob Seger, DJ Khaled, Enrique Iglesias, Janet Jackson, Linkin Park, Mötley Crüe, Pitbull and many others. Over 75 Live Workshops have been conducted since the programme’s introduction and are now available at Harman Professional’s
UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) will be holding webinars in conjunction with media server manufacturer Green Hippo this month. Introduction to Hippotizer will take place on Thursday, 9 July at 3pm-4pm BST. It will provide an overview of the Hippotizer V4+ software and Hippotizer PLAY, the free-to-download demo version. On 16 July from 3pm to 4pm BST, Get started with SHAPE 3D Mapping will go through the basics of how to set up your Hippotizer and 3D environment using SHAPE. Visit the AC-ET website to find out more and register your place.
Germany - The end of June saw Brompton Technology take part in one of Europe’s first face-to-face industry events since lockdown, the AV Innovation Days (AVID), organised and hosted by LANG AG at its LANG Academy in Lindlar. Designed as an accompanying event for InfoComm Connected, LANG hosted the three-day fair with both new and familiar AV technologies on display, whilst adhering to strict hygiene and safety rules. Leading LED panel manufacturers showcased their innovative solutions, with Brompton partnering with INFiLED to demonstrate how its panels have benefitted from Brompton’s HDR solution. “The event offered a perfect platform to discuss some of the key developments in the AV industry, such as the increased use of curved, or faceted, applications which are based on a variety of corresponding products. Also, the emerging trend of virtual LED studios inste
South Africa - Play It Forward a new live show by South African rockers Oooth, was part of a dynamic live stream designed as a fundraiser for tattoo artists across the country and freelance technicians via #FeedOurCrew who have been left without any income during the COVID-19 lockdown. The broadcast - on YouTube and Facebook Live - also included interviews, features and panel discussions, and was staged at SA rental company MGG’s Studio B facility, one of two such facilities at their HQ in Johannesburg, complete with a full Robe lighting rig. Reaching around 6,000 fans, whilst Play it Forward was airing, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the following day tattoo artists and studios would be able to re-start their businesses. On hearing this news, they in turn made a collective decision to donate the proceeds to #FeedOurCrew, an NGO
UK - This Saturday night, music fans will be able to dance the night away to over three hours of electronic music streamed online, all whilst helping industry charity Music Support raise vital funding. Taking place from 9pm on 4 July, Warehouse Manifesto will be held at Production Park’s London rehearsal studio The Mill. The Mill, in association with lighting, audio and video specialists Subfrantic, has created a COVID-secure avenue for artists to generate online content during the crisis. Meanwhile, LiveFrom Events will bring the music to the masses via its HD streaming platform. Tyrone Brunton, the gig’s project manager, comments: “The idea for Warehouse Manifesto came about after numerous conversations with Bullet from Production Park, as we were trying to get the core crew we have worked with over the years back together, with another project i
UK - Technical solution provider White Light (WL) and leading AV production supplier SFL have announced their intention to launch a strategic partnership. Under the new partnership, both companies will continue to trade separately and keep their existing bases but will now share equipment and personnel when delivering a full production service. They will work on corporate events, conferences, festivals, ceremonies, concerts and any other form of live entertainment, as well as supporting events which take place within WL’s approved and managed venues as well as other opportunities as they arise. WL MD Bryan Raven comments: “At WL, the question we always ask ourselves is how can we provide the very best service possible for our customers? Therefore, when the opportunity arose to form a strategic partnership with SFL, we knew this was something we couldn’t turn dow
UK - Artists including Sir Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Cure, Radiohead, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Annie Lennox, PJ Harvey, The 1975 and Blur are among the names demanding immediate action to save live music in the UK by signing an open letter to the UK government's Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden. The move is a bid to “show the vital importance of the UK’s live music industry, ensure the Government cannot ignore live music and make noise to get the public and financial support the industry needs to survive”.
The full letter reads as follows: “Dear Secretary of State, “UK live music has been one of the UK’s biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. From world-famous festivals to ground-breaking concerts, the live music industry showcases, supports, and develops some of the
USA - When the coronavirus pandemic first hit earlier this year, ADJ began to broadcast regular Facebook Live videos to stay connected with customers through educational content and in-depth product overviews. These proved popular, so the ADJ team has planned a series of further Stay Connected videos to run over the summer. Hosted from ADJ’s Los Angeles HQ by members of the company’s in-house team of technical experts, each of the new video broadcasts will focus on a different lighting technology or application. The presenters will showcase the latest ADJ products, explain their features and discuss ways in which they can be creatively deployed. Broadcast via Facebook Live, the videos will also feature interactive elements allowing viewers to ask questions directly to the product specialists on camera. “Every day, I am hearing more positive stories from li
USA - Needing to adapt to the challenges of how to produce a live event in conjunction with social distancing, the design team at Elite Multimedia Productions launched a virtual event production studio directly from their headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. “Our owner Jeremy Byrd had kicked around the idea a while ago, so as we started to build-out our demo room with LED video, we decided to add in some of our lighting inventory as well,” explains Kenny Mason, production manager Elite Multimedia Productions. “Once the shutdowns happened, we saw that live streaming was going to be a vital component to keeping the production industry going and we needed to find a way to take advantage of that. Since we already had this new demo room with production gear ready, it was a natural progression to transform the space into a virtual production studio.” As the team at
