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08 April 2025

Olivier Awards - Lesley Manville and John Lithgow were among the big winners at the Sunday's Olivier Awards. Lithgow won best actor for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant. Manville was named best actress for her performance in the Greek tragedy Oedipus. Three shows were tied with the most wins at the ceremony – with Fiddler on the Roof, Giant and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button each winning three prizes.

The award for best lighting design went to Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs for Oliver! Nick Lidster won the best sound design award for Fiddler On The Roof.

Artistic Own Goal - Cameron Mackintosh, Lee Hall and Sam Grabiner were among stars condemning government proposals to allow tech giants to train on artists’ work by

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04 April 2025

UK - The Power of Events, the not-for-profit organisation launched in 2023 to provide better understanding, respect and value for the UK Events Industry, has announced the expansion of its UK Schools Engagement Programme with the launch of the North West Hub, its largest region yet, spanning Liverpool, Cheshire and Manchester.

This initiative will connect thousands of young people with the dynamic world of events, providing insights, inspiration, and career pathways into the industry.

With ambassador registration now live on the Schools Engagement Programme portal (schools.thepowerofevents.org), industry professionals in the region are invited to sign up and support the next generation of talent by volunteering as little as an hour to the initiative. The first wave of school engagements will begin in early May across the region, with the ambitious go

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01 April 2025

Misleading - Ticketmaster "may have misled Oasis fans" with unclear pricing when it put their reunion tour on sale last year, the UK's competition watchdog has said. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the company may have breached consumer protection law by selling ‘platinum’ tickets for almost 2.5 times the standard price, without explaining they came with no additional benefits.

"This risked giving consumers the misleading impression that platinum tickets were better," it said in an update to its investigation into Ticketmaster. The CMA has instructed Ticketmaster to change the way it labels tickets and reveals prices to fans in the future. Ticketmaster said it "welcomed" the advice. "At Ticketmaster, we strive to provide the best ticketing platform through a simple, transparent and consumer-friendly experience," a spokesperson told the B

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28 March 2025

UK - The Backup Parish Council has announced that tickets for The Fabulous Village Fete, renamed for this year in celebration of Adam Taylor, aka Adam Fabulous, DJ and long-time supporter of the event, are about to go on sale.

Backup partners get access exclusive first access to purchase hospitality packages and tickets from 9am on 1 April, with access for general sale starting on 9am on 3 April.

The Fabulous Village Fete takes place on Thursday 10 July at Daytona Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. Affectionately known as ‘the industry’s best day out’, this is the industry’s hottest event tickets of the year!

“Epson are once again sponsoring the Manor House, for those wanting a more exclusive experience, there’s the ever-popular Bake Off, Veg Off, and we’re adding a DJ Off where budding ind

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25 March 2025

Copyright Matters - Heads of high-profile arts organisations, including the Royal Shakespeare Company and English National Opera, have written to demand greater protection on copyright for creatives. Tamara Harvey, Daniel Evans and Andrew Leveson of the RSC, as well as ENO’s Jenny Mollica and the Royal Ballet and Opera’s Alex Beard have all signed a letter expressing concern over the effect the government’s plans to "diminish creative copyright" could have on "a fragile ecosystem" for artists.

The leaders, who also include in their ranks regional venue leaders such as Bristol Old Vic chief executive Charlotte Geeves, Tiata Fahodzi boss Chinonyerem Odimba and the Donmar Warehouse’s Henny Finch, all oppose an envisaged exemption to copyright law for AI companies looking to train their technology.

The government’s eagerness to unleash the pote

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18 March 2025

Next Generation - A major entertainment centre is fundraising to invest £20m into a new academy to develop the next generation of musicians. The Glasshouse in Gateshead is aiming to support young musicians throughout their education and help them build a career in music. Over the next two years, the academy will open four ‘music learning hot spots’ in Middlesbrough, Carlisle, Sunderland and Kendal.

The organisation said the scheme had been designed to ensure young musicians could take their next step in developing their talent, whether that be picking up an instrument for the first time or pursuing a career.

Glasshouse CEO Abigail Pogson said the centre, previously called The Sage, had worked for the last 20 years to be a place people of all ages could make and experience music. She said: "The Glasshouse Academy builds on this f

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13 March 2025

World - Shure Incorporated has collaborated with two other international audio equipment brands to address a network in China engaged in the large-scale manufacture and export of counterfeit products, including microphones, headphones, and amplifiers.

In May 2023, Shure received information about a network of nine entities in China exporting counterfeit audio equipment to Southeast Asia. The network operated more than 80 separate online stores selling to customers in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines.

Shure, working through IP services business Rouse and its strategic partner firm, Lusheng, collaborated with two other audio equipment manufacturers to launch coordinated action against the counterfeit operation.

China’s police force in the province, the Guangdong Province Public Security Bureau (PSB) launched simultaneou

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11 March 2025

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

Inside our new March issue, you’ll find Rob Halliday’s in-depth production report on Cirque du Soleil’s gravity-defying Corteo show, as it visits the Royal Albert Hall.

Plus, we bring you our bumper round-up of news from last month’s ISE, Barcelona and expected highlights from next month’s Prolight + Sound, Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, Steve Moles visits the new Design & Digital Arts building at Nottingham Trent University; Phil Ward learns how SSL’s System T is assisting with Sonosphere’s livestreaming projects; and Louise Stickland meets the largely Ukrainian crew behi

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11 March 2025

Remember Monday - The UK's Eurovision entry for 2025 will be the female country-pop trio Remember Monday, the BBC has announced. The group, who previously reached the quarter finals of The Voice, will head to Switzerland this May with a song called What The Hell Just Happened?

Calling themselves "pop girlies with a little bit of yeehaw", the band was formed by school friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steele in 2013. In a press release, they said: "We're going to be the first girlband to represent the UK since 1999, which feels like such a crazy honour. We're going to bring loads of fun, energy and hopefully do something that you won't have seen before on the Eurovision stage."

Citizens’ Return - A revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, a production of Douglas Maxwell’s a

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07 March 2025

UK - Backup Tech’s annual summertime day of fun and frivolity, this year renamed The Fabulous Village Fete in celebration of Adam Taylor, aka Adam Fabulous, DJ and long-time supporter of the event, will once again take place at Surrey’s Daytona Sandown Park on Thursday 10 July.

With shooting brakes, feather boas, picnic blankets, cake creations and voluminous veg to the fore, the industry is invited to enjoy the event’s perennial favourites, including Best Dressed Fete’r, the hugely popular Bake Off and Veg Off, The Straw Stage for live entertainment and workshops, Peasant laser clay Shooting, the Food and Craft Fest stalls and some new additions, to be announced later in the build-up to the day.

“The fete stalls proved incredibly popular last year, and even more companies want them this year so,

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04 March 2025

Europe - The OCA Alliance has attested to a positive ISE 2025, full of new implementations and products and a broader industry embrace of open public control standards.

"This was a fantastic year for AES70 at ISE,” reports OCA Alliance marketing chair, Ethan Wetzell. “We saw several new products and implementations of the standard – some of which we knew were coming, but several of which were surprises. And that's really the benchmark of success for a technology like this – when the industry begins to pick it up and implement it independently, that's a ringing endorsement."

Throughout the show, members of the OCA Alliance were on hand to showcase and demonstrate options for commercial hardware, software controllers, hardware and software reference designs, and discuss the standard's latest additions. Of particular interest this year were AES7

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04 March 2025

Creative Consent - Organisations including the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, Equity and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain are urging the government to ensure creative work cannot be mined by artificial intelligence unless its creator has given express consent.

The government is consulting on targeted protections for the arts following a backlash against its controversial new plans, under which AI would be able to train easily on content unless its creators forbade it. But unions have warned that “the clock is ticking” to put safeguards in place against the “industrial-scale theft” they claim is already unfolding.

Equity and the WGGB have now demanded an opt-in model for creative workers, under which they must give permission for their work to be used by AI, as well as fair remuneration for artists where their content is used,

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03 March 2025

Germany - Absen celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated showroom in Mörfelden-Walldorf on Thursday, 27 February. The display area has been transformed to showcase a wider range of Absen’s LED solutions from its ProAV, AbsenLive, and DOOH product portfolios, offering an immersive experience.

Tania Zhao, vice-president and president of display business group at Absen, expressed his excitement, stating: “Our Germany base is a vital resource for our teams and we are delighted to unveil this newly renovated Absen showroom. This innovative space provides a unique opportunity to showcase our diverse product displays, from our wide range of market segments to our European customers and partners.

“The updated showroom will further support the regional sales team and continue to strengthen our efforts across Europe, with a more timely and ef

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25 February 2025

Sounds of Silence - More than 1,000 musicians – including Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn and Kate Bush – have released a silent album in protest at the UK government's planned changes to copyright law, which they say would make it easier for AI companies to train models using copyrighted work without a licence.

Under the new proposals, AI developers will be able to use creators' content on the internet to help develop their models, unless the rights holders elect to "opt out". The artists hope the album, entitled Is This What We Want?, will draw attention to the potential impact on livelihoods and the UK music industry. All profits will be donated to the charity Help Musicians.

"In the music of the future, will our voices go unheard?" Kate Bush said in a statement. A public consultation on the legal changes closes later today, Tuesday.

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18 February 2025

UK - During 2024, Backup welcomed three new companies to its list of partners – L-Acoustics (platinum partners), Chauvet (gold) and Carallon (silver). The contribution that all Backup Tech partners make is testimony to the spirit of the industry, and each company has its own reason for joining. The end result is the same: helping continue the amazing work Backup does to support industry family members when they need it most.

"Live sound professionals are a valued and essential part of our community and ecosystem – they inspire our innovations and share our passion for connecting people through extraordinary experiences," says Anne Hamlett, chief people officer at L-Acoustics. "Supporting Backup means supporting the very people who bring sound to life and make these meaningful connections possible."

Chauvet Professional has supported Backup for ma

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18 February 2025

Manchester Calling - Manchester’s cultural sector has bounced back post-pandemic and generated more than £342m last year for the city, a report has revealed. The Annual Culture Impact Survey, presented to the Manchester City Council’s Economy and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee last week, declared that the figure amounted to a "very good" return on the investment of council money in culture.

According to the report, Manchester City Council invested £23.1m in arts, culture and libraries in 2023-24, which helped leverage a further £159.2m from other private, public and other funding streams during the same year. It said this represented an overall economic boost to the city of more than £342m, an amount deemed to demonstrate a post-pandemic recovery. The report also revealed that footfall at Manchester’s cultural venues stands at 93% of its

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17 February 2025

Spain - Production Futures enjoyed a successful debut at ISE, where it was part of the Fast Forward Friday takeover of the Live Events Stage. Providing an inspiring focus for young people on networking, training, and career growth in the live event technology and broadcast sectors, the Production Futures takeover promoted a day of learning, targeted at helping to develop the skills and confidence to meet career challenges head-on.

Hannah Eakins of Production Futures saw the organisation’s first appearance at ISE as a very important milestone in taking its message to a global audience:

“Throughout the day, we invited special guests from all corners of the industry to give the ISE audience an insight into the world of training and work opportunities within live event and broadcast production, whilst simultaneously raising the profile of ne

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12 February 2025

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

Inside our new February issue, you’ll find the behind-the-scenes story of London’s spectacular New Year’s Eve display, including how the team deployed motion graphics at the event for the first time.

We also bring you Julie Harper’s report from the Dominion Theatre on The Devil Wears Prada musical, plus Phil Ward meets the team at audio networking specialist Joyned.

There are two in-depth technical reviews to get your teeth into, as Rob Halliday tests out the ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M+ lighting console and Richard Cadena takes a closer look at Claypaky’s Rhapsodya LED profile

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11 February 2025

USA - Billed as an 'evening of music and solidarity', the FireAid Benefit Concert – hosted by the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum on 30 January – saw 35 artists perform in a live broadcast that helped to raise millions for wildfire recovery efforts.

Organised by the Annenberg Foundation, as the event began, $2m dollars were raised thanks to a $1m donation from Irish rock band U2 matched in contribution by Clippers Organisation and Intuit Dome ownership Steve and Connie Ballmer. At the time of press, an estimated $100m has been raised, with funds allocated to the rebuilding of LA communities and wildfire prevention methods.

Clair Global’s team was led by Meegan Holmes, general manager of Clair’s Sun Valley, CA location. Clair, together with group brands Eighth Day Sound and Sound Image supported client rehearsals for Billie Eilish, Jelly Ro

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11 February 2025

Stepping Down - Celebrated lighting designer Paule Constable has announced her retirement from theatre. The multi-Olivier award-winning designer announced the move after accepting her award for Services to UK Theatre at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2025.

Over her lengthy career, she has worked for organisations including the National Theatre, the Donmar Warehouse and the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as the Michael Grandage Company. Her many shows have included War Horse, Evita, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Light Princess and Ballet Shoes, as well as operas with Glyndebourne, the Royal Ballet and Opera and English National Opera. She has won five Olivier awards and two Tony Awards.

Creamfields - Anyma has been named as the first headliner at the upcoming

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04 February 2025

Fire Aid - Sir Rod Stewart was one of many big names who took to the stage as part of a star-studded benefit concert featuring over 25 major artists across two Los Angeles venues to raise funds for victims of devastating wildfires. The fires, which began in early January, claimed 29 lives and destroyed more than 16,000 buildings across Los Angeles. The concerts were held at the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome in Inglewood, two large arenas approximately a mile apart.

Billie Eilish and Green Day opened the show with a poignant duet of Last Night On Earth, singing: ‘If I lose everything in the fire’. Performing at the Intuit Dome, Sir Rod Stewart flew from the UK specially for the event, saying, "LA is very special to me, I've lived here for 50 odd years."

Elsewhere, Joni Mitchell delivered a stunning rendition of Both Sides Now

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30 January 2025

UK - The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) has announced Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros) as the winner of the 2025 Excellence in Sound for a Feature Film award.

On the winning film, AMPS chair Andrew Wilson said: “The sound for Dune: Part Two was astonishing, and key to immersing the audience in Denis Villeneuve’s expansive world of Arrakis. It is a deeply impressive piece of filmmaking demonstrating the power of sound as a storytelling device.

“From the power of the Sandworm ride to the tiniest grains drifting in the lightest of winds, the sound is detailed and nuanced, creating a memorable experience. AMPS is honoured to recognise the work in sound of Gareth John, Tom Harrison, Martin Kwok, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill and their sound teams.”

The Dune: Part Two sound team said: “We are

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28 January 2025

Theatres at Risk - RAAC infected theatres the Brunton, the Harlequin and Motherwell Concert Hall have been added to the Theatres Trust’s ‘Theatres at Risk Register’ as the list approaches two decades of advocating for building preservation. The three venues, two of which are facing imminent demolition following the discovery of potentially dangerous concrete (RAAC) in their infrastructures, are among five new additions to the register alongside Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre and Arts Centre and Cannock’s Prince of Wales Theatre. All five are local authority-owned, mid- to small-scale venues located outside of major cities.

Announcing the 2025 register, Theatres Trust director Joshua McTaggart noted that RAAC was proving a "particularly tricky" problem, and warned cash-strapped local authorities that cutting arts provisions would rob communities of "vita

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24 January 2025

UK - Production Futures’ final On Tour event of 2024 took place at Production Park in Wakefield during November and proved to be another success. Young people from across the North of England were able to connect with representatives of its industry partners to explore paid opportunities and free training, as well as taking advantage of workshops, presentations and discussions.

In keeping with the Production Futures ethos, a team of apprentices from global production specialists PRG, designed the systems and installed all the technical requirements for the event’s focal point, the Talks Stage. With 38 locations in 29 countries across six continents, PRG specialises in lighting, audio, video, rigging, automation, digital services, camera, broadcast, and design for events of every size and scale, from concept to execution. The company is strongly