The Week in Light & Sound
- Details
Last month, theatres across the UK, including Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds and the Lowry in Salford, warned of extortionate increases to their heating bills. Theatres and other cultural spaces within the nine Creative Enterprise Zones – Croydon, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hackney and Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Hounslow, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Waltham Forest – will be able to apply for support. They can use the grants towards replacing a building’s older heating system with heat pumps, installing new windows, or conducting an eco-audit – which investigates ways an organisation can become more energy efficient.
Khan said: “The capital’s world-leading arts, cultural and creative industries help to drive our economy and inspire young people, but the energy crisis is hitting the sector hard and it is vital that it is supported to become more energy efficient, especially as these businesses are not protected by the energy price cap.
"This latest investment reaffirms my commitment to placing the environment at the centre of our economic recovery and will help workplaces deal with the burden of the cost-of-living crisis and spiralling energy bills as we build back a fairer, greener city for all."
Ticketing Turnover - Turnover for ticketing businesses plummeted by an average 85% during the first year of the pandemic, according to a new report. The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers also reported that during 2021, average turnover dropped by 58%. The findings are part of a report conducted by independent ticketing expert Will Quekett, who interviewed 39 stakeholders across the ticketing and events industry between January and March this year. This comprises venues – including theatres – event organisers and ticket agents.
Outlined in the report, called The Ticket Industry & the Pandemic, are a series of recommendations for the industry, including a greater consistency of ticketing policies, such as refunding booking and transaction fees for cancelled events, and a review of practices around advance ticket sales income, to “help ensure that all sales channels can refund customers promptly and efficiently if required”.
Music Office - Plans for a £1.6m music office to support the industry in the Liverpool city region (LCR) have been revealed. The LCR Music Office is part of the second stage of a £2m investment originally approved in March 2020. The centralised office will provide guidance, support and a single point of contact for the music sector in the region.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said it will offer "one front door" for businesses and skill development. "Our musical heritage is obviously very important, attracting millions of visitors to the region every year, but I want to invest to ensure that our future can be just as bright," he said. "The new LCR Music Office will help to oversee the musical sector in the region, providing one front door for businesses and acts alike who need support or guidance to take their careers to the next level."
In The Courts - A US judge has dismissed a man's latest lawsuit against Nirvana over the band's 1991 album cover which showed him naked as a baby. Spencer Elden, 31, said his appearance on the front of the Nevermind record constituted child sexual abuse. But the judge said he had left it too late to claim he had been exploited. The lawsuit focused on a photograph of Mr Elden, which depicted him swimming naked in a pool towards a dollar bill pierced with a fish hook.
He argued that he had been unable to consent to the picture being used. He was seeking $150,000 (£130,000) in damages. Photographer Kirk Weddle was among the defendants, as were former Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, as well as Courtney Love, the widow of late singer Kurt Cobain.
Farewell - Foo Fighters and their fans paid an emotional goodbye to drummer Taylor Hawkins with star-studded tribute gig. On a highly charged night, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl performed hits including Times Like These, Best Of You and Everlong - as stars including Paul McCartney, Liam Gallagher, Travis Barker and Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor also took to the stage at Wembley Stadium.
(Jim Evans)
6 September 2022
