The #WeMakeEvents campaign, which is raising the alarm for the live events and entertainment sector, has organised a day of action across London and the UK on 11 August. A series of events will call on the government to ‘Throw us a Line’ before the talent and expertise that makes the UK’s live events and entertainment sector the envy of the world is lost.

In London, journalists and politicians have been invited to board a boat at Westminster Pier, from where they will sail through a series of ‘arenas’ which will feature many of the capital’s iconic landmarks, all lit up red in solidarity. For added impact, industry members are being asked to line up, socially distanced, on river banks and bridges to create a Red Alert route. In key locations supporters will lower down red rope lights to the boat as it passes, to symbolise ‘throwing us a line’.

Everyone who wants to be part of the Red Alert route must pre-register via EventBrite, where they can also select their preferred location to join the action. Those who are part of the route are asked to wear a red t-shirt and download the MyLight – Flashlight app to turn their phone into a red flashlight.

Please note it is also mandatory to wear a face covering throughout the event – a red one would be ideal.

Andy Dockerty Managing Director of Adlib, said: “The events sector has been absolutely devastated by the Covid-19 crisis and there are few signs of any significant restart in the near future. Without immediate support the entire live events supply chain is at risk of collapse and some 1 million highly skilled professionals face many more months of financial uncertainty. We need the government to understand the urgency of the situation and so we call on industry members to make their voices heard and join us on the evening of 11 August.”

In addition to the London action, a series of regional events will also take place. More details can be found on the event Facebook page WeMakeEvents: Red Alert – day of action.

The industry bodies now involved in #WeMakeEvents include: the Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT), the ALD – The People in Performance Lighting, the Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Association of Sound Designers (ASD), Community Leisure UK, Creu Cymru, Curtain Call Online, the Federation of Scottish Theatre (FST), Freelancers Make Theatres Work, the Institute of Sound & Communications Engineers (ISCE), MUTA, the MIA, the Music Venues Trust (MVT), the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA), Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), PLASA, Production Managers Forum (PMF), Production Services Association (PSA), Society of London Theatre (SOLT) & UK Theatre, Sustainability in Production Alliance (SiPA) and Theatre & Dance Northern Ireland.

For full details and to register, visit https://wemakeevent.eventbrite.co.uk

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has had a dramatic effect on our lives and industry, lighting professionals are taking the downtime as an opportunity to educate themselves and prepare for the eventual reopening. Elation Professional is offering just such an opportunity with launch of a new online Learning Center available on the www.elationlighting.com website. Designed to provide lighting professionals with easy-to-access learning options, the new resource site is full of free educational and training material.

View Training Videos from Obsidian Control Systems covering the Onyx platform, Dylos pixel composer, Capture Visualization software, and more; or access Elation Educational Experience (E3) training videos, many presented by one of the industry’s top technical educationists, ETCP Recognized Trainer Richard Cadena. Other resources like White Papers and How-to Articles covering a host of topics relevant to lighting professionals are also available.

The entire Elation Hour and Innovation Hour webinar series is available to view. Elation’s popular virtual presentation series addresses the technology and process behind the company’s most popular product series and includes discussions with some of our industry’s most noted designers. Check out Elation’s Virtual at Home Demos, a video series that sees Elation’s sales team and product specialists demoing some of Elation’s newest lighting products from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

Another feature of the Learning Center includes videos of product, trade show and showroom light shows. Visitors can also view and register for upcoming E3 events, as well as schedule a demo room appointment at Elation facilities in the U.S., Europe or Mexico.

The Elation Learning Center will be continually updated with new material so lighting pros can return to it again and again. For access, follow the Learning Center link at the top of the www.elationlighting.com webpage.

Although the planned celebrations for the International Day of Light in 2020 (IDL2020) were impacted significantly by the global pandemic, many individuals and organisations were able to reorganise to move activities and events online.

With hundreds of events moving to virtual formats through Streaming events and Social Media, in many cases this actually facilitated easier international participation. There was worldwide response to activities such as photography contests, BINGO games, lectures and talks, educational meetings, and more.

In addition to the variety of innovative and engaging events that took place online, a highlight of the 2020 celebrations around 16 May included the #SeeTheLight campaign, which featured a special video and four insightful articles by distinguished specialists. These pieces describe the role of light and how light drives cleaner energy, sustainable farming, high-speed connectivity and better diagnostics and treatments. The IDL Secretariat also called on its community to submit original videos that celebrate the role of light. Over fifty creative videos were received from more than 30 countries worldwide, and many of these were shared on the IDL social media accounts throughout the month of May.

The detailed results of the IDL2020 celebrations can be read in this report. Some highlights include over 300 registered events in 69 countries, an estimated 750,000 event participants, and 400,000 social media impressions. On Twitter, #IDL2020 trended globally on 16 May. In fact, #IDL2020 was used 30% more in May 2020 than #IDL2019 was in all of 2019. The IDL Secretariat is delighted by this result considering the extenuating circumstances faced by event organizers this year.

In a few months, planning will begin for the Day of Light celebrations in 2021. Please contact IDL if you have ideas or interest for collaborations, sponsorships, or other participation opportunities.

Designscape, from the creative minds behind leading design shows Decorex, designjunction, kbb Birmingham and Sleep & Eat, will bring an inspired content programme to the design industry in a three-day virtual event from Tuesday 11th – Thursday 13th August. Each day will feature unrivalled thought-leading programming and conversations across residential, retail and hospitality sectors – with real-time audience engagement – from trailblazers in business and design and innovators in science and technology.

The Designscape programme looks beyond trends and instead digs deeper into how behavioural changes and outside influences are transforming the design landscape. The inaugural event looks to the future of design, combining virtual discussions, educational and topical symposiums in live and on-demand formats, global matchmaking and speed networking and a comprehensive product directory.

Designscape sets to stimulate every corner of the industry; 11th August [Retail] will examine physical spaces becoming experience-driven, the intersection of retail and digital, the future of retail design and explore what the consumer of the future will look like. 12th August [Residential] will focus on new human behaviours within the home environment governing the design of the home, the evolving and uncomfortable notion of luxury, the emergence of modern primitive styles, and whether the notion of trends will continue to be relevant. 13th August [Hospitality] will host a line-up of talks around the alignment of sustainability and safety, AI’s impact on customer experiences, and future-proofing expansion and investment plans.

To view the full programme and to register to attend please visit: www.thedesignscape.co.uk

Decorex International, one of Europe’s leading events for interior design professionals has made the decision to transition from a live event to an all-virtual format event. Decorex understands the importance of connecting its communities and is therefore excited to design a unique virtual event that will allow the design industry to source, learn, network, gain inspiration and overcome challenges in this new environment.

Decorex Virtual 2020 will bring the industry together on 17-19th November through a digital experience. Full details will be announced soon.

“Although the decision to transition this year’s in-person event was difficult and we will miss seeing everyone in Olympia, we are excited for a new way to engage and interact with our industry,” said Decorex Event Director, Sam Fisher.

“We know the design community is eager to come together face to face, and our reimagining of Decorex through a virtual event will offer exceptional content, the ability to source new products, learn, share ideas, and network.”

As one of the creative minds behind Designscape 2020, Decorex has helped to design a creative event focused on residential, hospitality, and retail set to take place 11th-13th August.

“We want to thank everyone in the design family for their ongoing support,” continued Fisher, “We look forward to seeing everyone virtually in November and in person next year in Olympia.”

The ILP has recently confirmed that it is planning online events and training throughout 2020, and will launch its autumn plan at the Institution’s online AGM day, Lighting United, on 9 September.

The professional body, which supports everyone in lighting to share CPD knowledge, has no plans to organise any face to face events or training until 2021.

John Sutcliffe and James Duffin, the ILP Honorary Treasurers, explained “The Institution relies on membership subscription fees to operate. Our view is that it’s not responsible or respectful for us to take on financial risk by organising face to face events and courses which could be cancelled whilst the pandemic continues. We also recognise the challenges employers and employees face in finding time and resources to allow colleagues to attend events. Sharing knowledge online at least eliminates travel time and expense.”

Tracey White, ILP CEO, added “We know how much the lighting community is looking forward to being able to gather again in person and we share those sentiments. In the meantime, we offer several different ways to stay connected including our open house Hi Lights sessions. We will also be supporting our friends in the industry who are planning a mixture of digital and in person events this autumn, providing speakers and promotional support.”

Lighting United is a free day of online events and activities for the whole lighting community. On 9 September, connect with other lighting professionals, update yourself on opportunities, and be part of the future of lighting. The ILP team will show you how the community can support you now and, in the months, ahead topping up your resilience and making you better equipped to deal with anything else 2020 throws at you.

For more information and to register for the ILP Lighting United event, please click here.

UK-based grassroots campaign initiative #LightItInRed is part of the 11th August ‘Red Alert’ day of action being organised and coordinated by #WeMakeEvents and PLASA (the Professional Lighting & Sound Association).

Red Alert is also being supported by numerous companies, professionals, organisations and other individuals and practitioners working in the entertainment technology industry and performing arts sector.

The Red Alert campaign’s goal is to get the live entertainment and technical production sector in front of politicians, specifically those in the exchequer and at the DCMS (Department of Culture Media & Sport), the latter as the industry’s representatives at parliamentary level.

The reason is to demand urgent financial help for the sector and its substantial support infrastructure … until mass gatherings can return.

The industry is on the brink of collapse following no work or cashflow for 5 months, and no timetable for a re-start.

This is further exacerbated by recent changes to the coronavirus jobs retention scheme (JRS) meaning that already cash-strapped companies will be under further pressure to make redundancies.

On July 6th, #LightItInRed initiated a lighting action that saw nearly 700 buildings, monuments, landmarks, and spaces all over the UK lit in ‘emergency red’ to raise awareness of this dire situation.

#WeMakeEvents Red Alert is the next step.

“The call is even more urgent now – so we are again asking everyone if they can get actively involved and light something red for the 11th August,” says #LightItInRed co-founder Steven Haynes.

Phillip Berryman, the other co-founder of the movement, states, “We are hearing daily about the mental health impact of this crisis on individuals, and ask everyone in our industry to not only show their support for each other, but join together with one united voice and take part in the #WeMakeEvents RED ALERT campaign.”

To register a building / place / space to be lit in red on August 11th, please visit: www.lightitinred.com

Information about other activations being planned on August 11th can be found at www.plasa.org/wemakeevents

The UK’s live entertainment and technical and creative production industry remains vastly undervalued and underappreciated whilst facilitating a massive contribution to the UK’s GDP and exchequer through live events, performance, concert tours, festivals, etc.

It was the country’s fastest growing sector in 2018 and offers a diverse array of employment and careers.

The DCMS has secured £1.57bn for the sector – announced the day before the #LightItInRed event in July – which is fantastic, but it appears that this £1.57bn is predominately for the theatres, venues, institutions and the heritage sector with only a small amount to assist the numerous small venues around the country.

#LightItInRed has also not yet heard of anyone successfully accessing these funds!

Except for the small venues, the sector generally has some form of annual arts funding and at best constitutes around 50% of the live events and technical production industry.

This 50% of the industry that has been missed out … is the part with no existing arts funding. It is normally completely commercially viable, self-sufficient and pays taxes.

The companies and individuals working in it are not only hugely dynamic, talented, and resourceful, they take substantial personal risks borrowing billions for equipment capital purchases, buildings, mortgages, and staff. This sector – live entertainment, festivals, music, comedy, touring, corporate and industrial events, promoters, and manufacturers etc., is enormous and represents at least half of the overall sector represented through the DCMS.

Despite all the recent positive statements by the government … right now the live events and technical production industry cannot work!

Colours of Ostrava is usually one of the largest multi-genre live music and performance festival in the Czech Republic, offering 22 stages of diverse and vibrant entertainment across four days in mid-July. It is staged in the stunning raw industrial environment of the former Dolní Vitkovice (DOV) steelworks – now tastefully reimagined as an important cultural and heritage centre – near Ostrava in the north-east of the country.

This year, like all European festivals, it was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic and rescheduled for 2021.

However, with the government allowing gatherings of up to 1000 people after June 22nd, it seemed that compact events could become feasible, and so ‘NeFestival’ (NoFestival) was planned as a much smaller event at the same site to bring the spirit and essence of Colours – music, theatre, lighting art vibes, discussion, etc. – to a small but enthusiastic audience.

SMART Production led by Josef ‘Pepa’ Ženíšek coordinated all the technical production as they have done for Colours since 2010, and Robe Lighting was again proud to be a technical partner and collaborator in another landmark event in spite of the unusual circumstances.

One stage was constructed on the DOV national heritage area, which is part of the Colours regular site, right under the Bolt Tower that once presided over DOV blast furnace number 1.

The Robe fixtures – 30 x iPointes, 20 x MegaPointes and four BMFL WashBeams were used in a highly symbolic role as ‘light towers’ to denote the areas that would have been occupied by the second stage and the Full Moon stage in the standard festival layout.

Pepa needed fixtures that were massively bright and intense for this, and these three types were perfect.

In addition to these, 16 x Robe Divine 160 LED wash fixtures were part of the package, with six used during the special ‘opener’ show created by Cirk La Putyka on the Wednesday, and the other 10 highlighting the Bolt Tower and other imposing industrial elements behind the stage, accentuating a powerful aesthetic for the live streaming.

Robe’s JJ Valchar commented, “As always we were delighted to work with Pepa and his team on this highly creative production which was much enjoyed and a rare opportunity to catch some outstanding live outdoor performance this summer. This year we feel our support is more important than at any time before, and we are already all looking forward to the 2021 edition of Colours of Ostrava … when the entire heritage site will again be buzzing with people and a great atmosphere.”

The line up over the four days of NeFestival was planned to be Cirk La Putyka followed by Bosnian avant-garde dub rockers Dubioza Kollektiv the next evening, however they were unable to travel at the last moment, so a selection of excellent Czech bands took the stage.

Friday should have been more Czech bands including 123Min, N.O.H.A and headliner thrash rapper Kapitán Demo, with Saturday’s ‘Melting Pot’ forum for theatres, discussions and debates bringing things to a close …

But Friday morning things changed dramatically when, without prior warning, the regional health authorities reduced the capacity of gatherings from 1000 to 100, so the event site had to be closed, a decision that has caused some surprise!

This was not before Cirk La Putyka and all Thursday night’s bands had delivered outstanding performances to the delight of everyone present.

“It was great – like a sort of holiday and carnival atmosphere after a long time without any events – all of us and the crews were just so happy to be working and doing what we love in producing world-class shows,” concluded Pepa.

Highlite Touring project managed by Michal Siska supplied lighting equipment for the main stage, and their crew together with Pepa’s SMART Production team rigged the Robes for the light towers. Václav Olšar was the stage lighting designer and LD Jiri “Zewl” Malenak took care of La Putyka’s show.

Six days later, the decision to reduce audience capacities to 100 in the area was revised back up to 1000 people, bringing with it the hope of some more potential ‘mini-festival’ events bring staged over the summer … if all goes well!

Photos: Filip Kustka

Photo: © David Joseph, Courtesy of Katz Architecture.

New York City’s El Museo del Barrio’s multipurpose theatre has added a Robert Juliat Topaze followspot to its rejuvenated lighting rig during its extensive renovation.

4Wall was the lighting integrator for El Teatro which was meticulously restored in 2018 and reopened early in 2019. Originally called The Heckscher Children’s Theater, El Teatro was built in 1921 and boasts a Landmark-Quality interior with a remarkable series of 30-foot murals and stained-glass roundels. It was the original home of the Joseph Papp New York Shakespeare Festival. The theatre seats approximately 600 and is a venue for museum-hosted performances and rental events.

The restoration included an upgrade to the theatre’s lighting plot, which included Robert Juliat’s Topaze, an economical yet full-featured followspot with a 1200 W MSD source. The fixture’s long lamp life and low running costs make it a powerful, cost-effective solution for mid-size theatres and shows. Among its features are a fully closing iris cassette, universal adjustable gobo holder, frost filter, individually removable colour frame, colour changer and easy focus reference.

“The Topaze is mounted in the projector booth above the balcony and shoots through glass to the stage,” explains Mark Mainolfi, Technical and Production Coordinator for El Museo del Barrio. “We’re impressed by the reach and ease of Topaze. It also offers control parameters for focus, frost and iris.”

Most recently the museum used the Topaze to highlight dancers during a performance by The Manhattan Ballet School. “The lighting director was pretty impressed by this state-of-the-art spot,” Mainolfi recalls. “He appreciated the ability to quickly switch between multiple gel frames at once for precise colour matching and correction.”

Topaze also was used for the return of the 1983 musical about African-American singer Doris Troy, “Mama, I Want to Sing!” The show made its debut at The Heckscher Children’s Theater and has toured worldwide for decades. The musical came back to El Teatro to mark its 35th anniversary late last autumn.

At El Teatro, Erica Vargas is the Director of Operations. Dan Snyder is Assistant Project Director at 4Wall.

For more details on Robert Juliat’s Topaze followspot and others in the extensive followspot family, as well as Robert Juliat’s full portfolio of LED, tungsten and discharge lighting fixtures, visit www.robertjuliat.com.

Robert Juliat is distributed exclusively in North America by ACT Lighting, Inc.