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20 June 2025

UK - The live events sector continues to demonstrate the dedication and commitment of its professionals, with Backup partners exemplifying this community spirit. This year has seen Backup Tech expand its partnership network with two new companies and has introduced Core Pro Audio and TMB as its newest partners.

Each Backup partner brings its own motivation and story to the partnership, yet all share a common goal: supporting the vital work Backup undertakes to assist industry professionals during their times of greatest need.

The first new partner is Core Pro Audio, a professional audio sales company and used equipment specialist headquartered in the UK, with international trading capabilities.

The partnership was cemented following the successful Core Pro Show 2025 at the Mount Hotel, Tettenhall in January, which attracted over 200

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17 June 2025

Copyright Matters - The controversial data bill, which has garnered opposition from leading industry figures including Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ian McKellen, has passed through parliament without an amendment that would have given creatives more control over their work.

The Data (Use and Access) Bill is now ready for royal assent and has passed without an amendment that would have ensured copyright owners were given transparency over the "scraping" of their intellectual property by big tech.

The ultimate defeat of the amendment, spearheaded by crossbench peer and filmmaker Beeban Kidron, represents a disappointment for swathes of creatives, who urged the government to accept the amendment to protect against "the mass theft of creative works that continues to take place".

Speaking in support of passing the bill without the

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12 June 2025

UK - Production Futures has announced that it will bring the curtain down on 2025 with its largest On Tour show to date. The event will take place at Production Park, Wakefield on Thursday 27 November and will promote employability, transferable skills, diversity, free training, and networking, as well as presenting paid work opportunities to newcomers across the live event and broadcast production industry.

Manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors will have representatives present at the event to provide advice, information and insights, and discuss specific job and training opportunities. As well as manufacturers and suppliers, Production Futures also works closely with a range of organisations, initiatives, education partners and associations, connecting employment and training opportunities to a diverse pool of tal

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12 June 2025

UK - The ABTT Theatre Show came alive at Alexandra Palace in London with the annual ABTT Awards hosted by the Association of British Theatre Technicians. This event showcases the contributions people in the industry have been making to theatre and live events.

Ted Moore, director at sponsor TAIT said of the Awards: “TAIT are really proud to be here once again to sponsor the ABTT Awards, which I truly believe are the best award presentations anywhere in our industry. We wish all the nominees good luck and give congratulations to whoever the winners may be.”

The highly sought after People Awards included the ABTT Technician of the Year, the ABTT Award for Emerging Excellence and the ABTT Cmyru Nick Bache Technician of the Year Award which all recognise the achievements of individuals both starting out and well-established in their backstage careers

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10 June 2025

On Broadway - UK-originated productions and creatives received 13 prizes at this year’s Tony Awards. Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which premiered in London in December 2023, was this year’s biggest winner at a ceremony held in New York’s Radio City Music Hall. It won awards including best sound design and a special award for its illusions and technical effects team, with Miriam Buether taking home the prize for best scenic design of a play for the show.

Sunset Boulevard, directed by Jamie Lloyd, picked up three prizes, including best revival of a musical and a best actress gong for Nicole Scherzinger, while performer Jak Malone took home best featured actor in a musical for Operation Mincemeat.

SOLT and UK Theatre co-chief executive, Claire Walker said: "This year’s Tony Awards have been a brilliant showc

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05 June 2025

Greece - Over two days, hosted by the Megaron – Athens Concert Hall, leaders of European live performance organisations came together in the Greek capital where the 69th Pearle* Conference discussed urgent challenges and opportunities for the sector.

Recent data from the Eurobarometer shows that 88% of Europeans believe artistic freedom matters and while three out of four citizens trust that artists can freely express themselves, cultural organisations increasingly report growing pressure, self-censorship and fragile autonomy.

A panel on freedom of artistic expression in a polarised world, brought together distinguished academics, lawyers and cultural practitioners to unravel the mechanisms behind polarisation, threats of censorship, and ways to safeguard artistic autonomy and freedom of creation.

Participants also explored avenues for stre

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05 June 2025

UK - Global Crowd Management Alliance (GCMA) has published Words Matter: The Language of Crowds, a new guide designed to improve how professionals and the public talk about crowds, especially during and after major incidents.

The guide defines key terms used in crowd safety work, highlights common misunderstandings, and offers clear distinctions between proactive crowd management and reactive crowd control. It addresses the media’s role in shaping public perception and calls for greater accuracy and care in the language used to describe crowd-related events.

“Terms like ‘panic’ and ‘stampede’ are often used within minutes of a tragedy,” said Anne Marie Chebib, chair of The United Kingdom Crowd Management Association, a founding partner of GCMA. “But these words are not only vague, they can mislead investigations, distort publ

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03 June 2025

Future-proofing - Virtual avatars as stand-ins for performers is one technological innovation to feature among proposals at a Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre online event. A panel entitled Future-proofing For The Next Generation, featuring director Suba Das, Theatre Royal Wakefield boss Katie Town and Diverse City joint artistic director Claire Hodgson, discussed suggestions that AI could help the industry make strides forward in terms of accessibility and cost-cutting.

Panellists also vouched for the use of AI to help theatres achieve "the easy stuff" more efficiently, from administrative tasks to ice cream and drinks sales during performances. Town and Hodgson both welcomed the idea of digitised ‘avatar’ performers who they suggested could alleviate problems of cast absences, save money for subsidised theatres and appear "on-demand" f

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30 May 2025

UK - Backup Tech, the charity supporting those working behind the scenes in the entertainment technology industry, has announced the latest additions to its ambassador lineup. Under the guidance of Backup trustee Koy Neminathan, who oversees the ambassador programme, the organisation has welcomed Suzi Green and Gemma Fletcher into its growing roster of representatives.

As Backup ambassadors, Suzi and Gemma will champion the charity's mission throughout the entertainment industry, spreading awareness of the charity’s work, helping create and support wellbeing related initiatives that tie in with Backup’s remit, as well as recruiting corporate partners and supporting individual fundraising efforts. Their roles include representing Backup at industry events, meetings, and the popular annual Backup Village Fete. Here they share their personal connec

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27 May 2025

Glastonbury Time - The 1975, Neil Young and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo will headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival which opens on Wednesday. Rod Stewart will also be performing on Sunday afternoon in the ‘legend slot’, 23 years after his last appearance at the festival.

Other notable acts on the line-up include Charli XCX, Wolf Alice, The Libertines, Wet Leg, Biffy Clyro, Franz Ferdinand and The Prodigy. There will also be debut Glastonbury performances by Alanis Morisette, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, Lola Young and Doechii.

Glastonbury is known for unpredictable weather so festival-goers are advised to pack for all conditions, including wellies, waterproof clothing and sun cream. There is also a list of prohibited items to ensure the safety and security of everyone on site. Banned items include - but are not limited to - fireworks,

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20 May 2025

‘Absolute Losers’ - Sir Elton John described the government as "absolute losers" and said he feels "incredibly betrayed" over plans to exempt technology firms from copyright laws. Speaking to the BBC, he said if ministers go ahead with plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying, they would be "committing theft, thievery on a high scale".

Last week the government rejected proposals from the House of Lords to force AI companies to disclose what material they were using to develop their programmes. A government spokesperson said that "no changes" to copyright laws would be "considered unless we are completely satisfied they work for creators". Generative AI programmes mine, or learn, from vast amounts of data like text, images, or music online to generate new content which feels like it has been made by a human.

Sir Elton said th

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16 May 2025

Europe - In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Dante developer Audinate Group has announced a collaboration with the Netherlands’ Het Nationale Theater and XRAI to implement AI-enabled smart glasses with real-time subtitles for theatre-goers. GAAD promotes digital access and inclusion for more than one billion people with disabilities or impairments.

Starting this autumn, attendees at select performances by Het Nationale Theater in The Hague and on tour, including those who speak little or no Dutch or have hearing loss, can wear smart glasses for free that display subtitles in different colours to indicate which actor is speaking. Affectionately dubbed ‘LiveText’, the official launch is scheduled to take place at the end of June during the Holland Festival, the largest international performing arts festival in the Nether

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13 May 2025

Copyright Matters - The government has suffered another setback in the House of Lords over its plans to let artificial intelligence firms use copyright-protected work without permission. Yesterday (Monday), an amendment to the data bill requiring AI companies to reveal which copyrighted material is used in their models was backed by peers, despite government opposition. It is the second time parliament’s upper house has demanded tech companies make clear whether they have used copyright-protected content.

The vote came days after hundreds of artists and organisations including Paul McCartney, Jeanette Winterson, Dua Lipa and the Royal Shakespeare Company urged the Prime Minister not to “give our work away at the behest of a handful of powerful overseas tech companies”. The amendment was tabled by crossbench peer Beeban Kidron and was passed by 272 vote

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08 May 2025

USA - Michelle Guadalupe Felix Garcia must be one of the few sound engineers on the planet to have been personally asked by Chris Martin to help Coldplay record at their studio.

How she got there is a story of pure determination and an ambition to raise awareness that has led to the formation of the Audio Accessibility Alliance (AAA), a Clair Global backed industry think tank that aims to open conversations and create meaningful change around disability in entertainment technology and live event production.

When Michelle, who is a blind sound engineer, contacted Live Nation about possible employment opportunities, it marked the beginning of a high-level industry wake-up call.

Live Nation's director of production David Helberg, and VP of concert production Mike Marchetti, invited Michelle to The Conference: Live at Lititz in December

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07 May 2025

World - The latest issue of LSi is out now, and can be read online for free here.

Inside our new May issue, we discover how Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, home of Welsh rugby, has undergone a major technical revamp. Alongside recent additions like large-format displays, IPTV, LED ribbon boards and a Nexo line array system, the stadium has now upgraded to LED lighting to enhance both match days and concert set-ups. Ian Cullen reports from pitch-side.

From one iconic venue to another: Cat Strom covers Andrea Bocelli’s grand one-night-only performance at Sydney Cricket Ground. Meanwhile, Phil Ward traces the 100-year journey of Shure, from Prohibition-era Chicago to pop culture icon,

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06 May 2025

UK - As official studio partner of the 2025 Creative Cities Convention, Production Park is sponsoring a panel discussion on Thursday 8 May at 3.25pm with the makers of Netflix’s one-shot crime drama Adolescence.

Warp Films will take centre stage for the session at this week’s event in Bradford, when Peter Balm, commercial director and Gwen Gorst, executive producer will talk about the company’s stellar TV hits, including their globally acclaimed series which was filmed almost entirely at Production Park’s Studio 005 last summer.

Co-produced by Warp with Matriarch Productions and Plan B for Netflix – Adolescence tells the story of a family’s trauma when a thirteen-year-old is arrested for the murder of a teenage girl.

The sponsored session at the conference will feature the team from Warp who will discuss

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06 May 2025

Impact Assessment - Government ministers have pledged to carry out an “economic impact assessment” of its planned changes to copyright law following alarm from across the creative industries and within parliament itself. Ahead of a vote in parliament this week, Labour has vowed to produce a report exploring “the breadth of issues raised in the AI and copyright debate”, including the ways in which AI developers are able to train their systems in the UK.

This marks an acknowledgement of the fears expressed by creatives in recent months, with the likes of Elton John, Cameron Mackintosh and Tom Stoppard condemning a proposed opt-out system under which tech giants would be automatically permitted to train AI models on work unless its creators expressly forbade it.

The government’s latest commitments form part of amendments to the Data (Use and A

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30 April 2025

UK - The Profile Awards for Theatre and Television are once again to be held at the Alexandra Palace Theatre on the last day of the ABTT Show, which this year is Thursday 5 June.

Organised by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ABTT, the ALPD and the STLD, Ayrton returns as the event’s headline sponsor. Lucky winners are set to take home Patt 23M fixtures on stands, a miniature LED version of the Rank Strand Pattern 23 profile fixture with an engraved base.

The Theatre category of The Profile Awards is currently being judged by eight of the UK’s leading theatre, dance and opera critics, chaired by Variety’s David Benedict, and were not open to nominations.

The TV category is judged by a panel chaired by STLD honorary secretary Stuart Gain and comprising theatre LD Peter Small, TV LD Martin Kempton, and TV directo

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29 April 2025

Hall of Fame - Rap group Outkast, pop star Cyndi Lauper and 1960s pioneer Chubby Checker have all won places in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This year's inductees were revealed live on American Idol, with the UK represented by hard rock band Bad Company and Joe Cocker, 11 years after his death from lung cancer. Performers become eligible for inclusion 25 years after the release of their first commercial recording. The nominations are voted on by more than 1,200 music historians, industry professionals and previously inducted artists.

The full list of performers to be inducted this year is: Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Outkast, Soundgarden and The White Stripes. Salt-N-Pepa, the first commercially successful female rap group, will also receive the musical influence award, alongside Warren Zevon. There are also musical e

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28 April 2025

Europe - In a significant achievement for both consumer safety and intellectual property rights, L-Acoustics has successfully won legal judgments against two European counterfeiters of its professional audio equipment. These legal actions underscore the company’s unwavering commitment to ensuring audience safety and protecting the market for legitimate partners.

Working through its dedicated Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force, L-Acoustics pursued legal action in both Germany and Norway against companies that were acquiring and renting fake L-Acoustics products, including loudspeakers and electronics. Initial analysis of the seized counterfeit products revealed alarming safety concerns, including metal components only half the required strength of authentic L-Acoustics specifications – resulting in a 48% decrease in safety factor.

In Germany, the cour

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22 April 2025

Word of Mouth - A survey of West End theatregoers has highlighted trends among the ticket-buying public, with word of mouth, celebrity casting and familiar source material among top draws for audiences coming to see shows.

The survey found that word of mouth was the most common reason for booking a show, with some 83.4% of respondents to the Inside the Mind of the London Theatregoer poll stating that hearing rave reviews about a production from their friends and family members inspired them to purchase tickets. But 62.6% also cited the draw of a celebrity or actor, and 68.1% of those surveyed said they were often inspired to snap up theatre seats when they were familiar with a show’s source material.

The research, conducted by live entertainment digital marketing agency Situation UK in partnership with Society of London Theatre, elicited m

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16 April 2025

UK - The live events industry is full of passionate, caring people who go above and beyond, and Backup Partners are a shining example of just that. During 2024, Backup welcomed three new companies to its list of partners – L-Acoustics, platinum partner, Chauvet, gold partner and Carallon, silver partners.

The contribution that all Backup Tech partners make is testimony to the spirit of the industry and each company has its own unique reason for joining. The end result is the same: helping continue the work Backup does to support industry family members when they need it most.

The first new partner to be introduced is L-Acoustics, a global leader in professional sound. Founded in 1984, L-Acoustics is driven by a singular vision: to connect people through the best shared sound experiences. This commitment to excellence has made it the preferred choic

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15 April 2025

The Next Act - Streaming services, skills shortages, and the rise of artificial intelligence are causing the UK’s creative industries to lag behind their global competitors, a new report has claimed. To catch up, the report recommends that the sector at large “be prepared for the rapid AI transformation”, stream its content to wider audiences and provide more technical courses for younger students.

Entitled The Next Act: A Vision for the UK’s Creative Future, the report is released by Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Centre for Growth. It draws on interviews with sector leaders and a survey of 523 UK creative industry professionals. It finds the UK’s creative industries’ global status to be at an “inflection point”, at risk of being “quickly outpaced” by countries including France and South Korea, despite their high quality.

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10 April 2025

UK - In a joint venture, Backup Tech, The Back Lounge and UK Live Event Freelancers Forum, are launching a series of three Financial Literacy workshops and resources around being financially informed for freelancers working in the live entertainment industry.

Presented on Zoom and hosted by The Back Lounge’s Suzi Green and Paul Jones from UK Live Event Freelancers Forum, along with invited guest speakers on specific topics, the three, one-hour workshops, each of which will be standalone, will work synergistically to inform those working for themselves as sole traders or small businesses.

The series aims to provide practical advice balanced with an exploration of the culture shift needed to plan effectively for long-term security and will include a Q&A at the end of each session. They will cover topics including paying tax in the most e