Emergency Support - Grassroots music venues in England will be the first cultural organisations to benefit from the government’s £1.57 billion package for the arts, with the most at-risk organisations receiving cash in the “next few weeks”. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed that the first tranche of money - totalling £2.25m - will fund emergency support grants for music venues at risk of imminent collapse. It is the first news about how the billion-pound package will be spent, coming nearly three weeks after the initial announcement and following pressure from industry and unions to provide urgent clarification. A maximum of 150 venues that are at “severe risk of insolvency” are expected to benefit from the new funding, which will be distributed by Arts Council England and will provide grants of up to £80,000 to cover ongoing cos
UK - The entertainment industry as a whole has been widely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and resource has been put into new, on-demand projects such as virtual events and live streams, temporary structures for health services, and educational systems for schools, colleges, and universities. The team at Current RMS has recognised the shift in priorities and has launched new features that represent this new climate. Their new ‘postponed’ feature allows for users to temporarily pause jobs that will be reinstated in future, and retains all asset allocations, bookable resource allocations, and costs associated with each job. They have also launched a ‘Testing and Inspection’ module, giving users the ability to record testing data, whether that be for PAT, Test & Tag, OSHA, LOLER, or purely as a quality check. Current RMS’ Testing and Inspection module s
UK - A recent prosecution at Glasgow Sheriff Court has highlighted both the human and financial consequences when work at height is not properly planned, designed and managed, PASMA has said. The association highlighted a recent court case, which looked at an incident from 2 September 2016 when an employee of JR Scaffold Services Ltd, who was erecting a tower scaffold to carry out roof repairs, fell 8m after the cantilever section on which he was standing collapsed. According to reports, the fall left him hospitalised for two weeks, with severe injuries including a collapsed lung, ruptured spleen and multiple rib and shoulder fractures. It was five months before he could return to work and he will be on daily antibiotics for the rest of his life. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had correctly carried out a risk assessment and
UK - The collective behind the #LightItBlue campaign has formed a community interest company (CIC) dedicated to raising funds for mental health charities, with particular focus on benefitting people from the events and entertainment sectors. #LightItBlue was created at the onset of lockdown by a group of events and entertainment industry professionals to show a united display of gratitude to the NHS and frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within four months the campaign had become a global movement spanning 23 countries across six continents and enjoying a social media reach of 700m. The initiative began on Thursday 26 March when over 100 of the UK’s most famous event venues, sports stadiums and giant LED screens were illuminated in blue to coincide with the nationwide applause for the NHS and frontline care workers. Since then, landmarks ac
Beyond The Fringe - Performers due to appear at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe and theatre shows whose runs were cut short due to COVID-19 feature on the line-up of a new festival conceived during the pandemic. The New Normal outdoor theatre festival has been put together in little over a week, following a call-out to producers for shows that could be ready to perform at short notice. Its creation came after the government green-lit outdoor performances earlier this month, with shows on the programme of the New Normal beginning on 3 August and running until 31 August. It will take place in the walled courtyard of the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building in Wandsworth, south London, with a line-up of theatre, comedy, magic and music for socially distanced audiences. The festival has been put together by director Sean Turner, who said: "I am absolutely over the moo
Freelance Survey - A quarter of freelance theatre workers have been unable to access emergency income of any kind and a third are considering leaving the industry, a survey of more than 8,000 participants has found. The research also revealed that 36% of the freelance workforce in the performing arts received no support from the government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme or coronavirus job retention scheme. The statistics came from the Big Freelancers Survey, conducted by Stage Directors UK, Freelancers Make Theatre Work and Curtain Call in June 2020. They have been revealed amid widespread calls for the government to ensure its recently announced £1.57 billion support package will reach all areas of the industry, including freelancers. The statistics were published as part of the report Covid-19: Routes to Recovery, which looks at challenges faced by freel
USA - The Behind the Scenes Mental Health Initiative has rolled out a number of suicide prevention tools as part of joining the #BeThe1To campaign run by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and its partners. These tools are available at btshelp.org/bethe1to. A BTS survey of the industry revealed that most people want to help if they see someone at risk for suicide but they don’t know what to say or do, or are afraid they will make things worse or damage their relationship with the person. Evidence shows this is not the case and it is critical to reach out. The first part of the campaign is called Know the Warnings Signs because the more familiar someone is with the warning signs of suicide the more likely they are to recognize them. BTS has created posters listing some of the key warning signs in English, Spanish and French and they are available for dow
UK - Trending in Twitter’s top 3 on the night, the #LightItInRed campaign saw over 670 buildings, monuments, landmarks and structures all over the UK illuminated in ‘Emergency Red’ on 6 July (Monday) to highlight the vast challenges facing the live events, music and performing arts sectors. The action was organised by Steven Haynes from Clearsound Productions and Phillip Berryman from The Backstage Theatre Jobs Forum. It energised theatres, arts centres, live music venues, technical production and rental companies and associated individuals and freelancers everywhere, who were able to enjoy the camaraderie of working together once again on a massive national event with real purpose, after many months of the industry being closed and shuttered. On the eve of the event (Sunday) the government announced a £1.57bn financial assistance package for arts and culture in
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
Israel - MSolutions has announced the immediate availability of its IP Network Analyser software introduced at ISE 2020 in February. Available for use on its MS-TestPro portable test device, the specialised, secure software gives integrators an affordable toolset to test AV signal integrity and performance over IP networks. The MS-TestPro is one of the first HDBaseT testers to integrate AV over IP test capabilities, eliminating the need for an expensive standalone network tester. The initial software release is compatible with Cisco network switches and is activated upon connecting the MS-TestPro to the network switch. Customers can download the IP Network Analyzer software to their existing MS-TestPro devices for an immediate 14-day trial, or purchase the software for use on new devices. The software provides immediate, detailed feedback on network and switch informat
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 - 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/USA -Media serving and pixel management specialist, 7thSense Design, has appointed Eric Nolfo as project manager as the company expands its North America operations to the West Coast. Eric’s twenty-year career in the entertainment industry has seen him work in a wide range of project management and technical direction positions, including most recently with The Producers Group as technical coordinator for Bollywood Parks Dabangg Stunt Show and Motiongate Theatre’s Step Up Dubai Matt Barton, CEO, 7thSense Design comments: “We are excited to be expanding our global operations with a new presence on the West Coast of the United States, and we’re very pleased that Eric has joined us in our first step of that expansion. Eric brings with him a wealth of project management experience that will be invaluable to the many exciting projects we have in the pipeline.”
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
Brit Awards - Next year's Brit Awards have been pushed back by three months to May, to have a better chance of staging a full live ceremony featuring live performances. The 41st edition of the music awards show was due to take place in February at London's O2 Arena. But uncertainty around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the music industry to delay it. Organisers said they want “outstanding production levels, superstar performances and live excitement”. Geoff Taylor, chief executive of The Brits and industry body the BPI, said: "We believe that the best way to achieve this in 2021 is to move the show back a few months to May. We are already at work planning a spectacular event that will remind us how important music has been in getting us all through these difficult times." On The Campaign Trail - The Rolling Stones have warned US President Donald
USA - The 2020 Behind the Scenes holiday cards are on sale now at the BTS Boutique. This year, BTS is offering new file formats and customisation options for the electronic cards and an expanded array of price points starting at $20. These join the printed card packs of 10 with a standard greeting and personalised cards with a company logo and custom message. Six new designs are featured this year. Robert Mark Morgan and Lynn Muniz join returnees David Gallo and Robert Mendoza, and Scenic Art Studios has contributed designs by Michalyn Monson and Angelina Vyushkova. Sending a BTS holiday card helps spread the word about the charity and lets your recipients know it’s important to you to assist industry colleagues who are seriously ill or injured as well as support the Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative. Orders for printed
Operatic Moves - Glyndebourne Opera House in East Sussex is planning to present live opera outdoors in August, seven weeks on from cancelling its entire summer season. Mesdames de la Halle (1858), Jacques Offenbach's one-act opera about vegetable sellers in Paris, will be staged with 12 singers but no chorus. Props and costumes will come from past operas, while the number of musicians will be reduced from 40 to 13. The audience will be limited to 200 people, with tickets costing £100 each. Audience members will be seated outside in accordance with social distancing guidelines, while performances will be cancelled on the event of bad weather. "Experiencing live music and theatre, together, in an inspiring environment is what Glyndebourne is all about," said artistic director Stephen Langridge. "We are fortunate in having plenty of outside space available to us, and wi
Coachella Cancelled - The Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals have been cancelled this year. Both events were meant to have taken place in California in April, and had been rescheduled for October. But health officials have said they are "not comfortable moving forward" - especially given how Coachella is one of the world's biggest music festivals, bringing half a million fans to an open-air site east of Los Angeles. Cameron Kaiser, who signed the order cancelling the festivals for 2020, said: "I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall. Given the projected circumstances and potential, I would not be comfortable moving forward." Kaiser stressed that the decision was not taken lightly - and he acknowledged many people will be affected. "My first priority is the health of the community," he added. Fringe Benefits - The Edinburgh
UK - Le Mark has released a rolling screen suitable for protection against sneeze and cough particles suitable for enclosed spaces, such as rehearsal studios. Originally designed for hairdressers and beauty salons that require a simple, clear screen that could be regularly sanitised yet remain as unrestrictive as possible, the vinyl screen has lockable castor wheels and a metal frame and measures 122.5cm wide by 188.5cm high. (4ft x 6ft 2). It is available for purchase online.
Arts Sector Exposed - A cut in public funding has left the arts sector more exposed to the threat of COVID-19, new figures suggest. The latest Arts Index, published annually, showed public investment in arts per head of the population fell by 35% in the last decade. However, earned income by arts organisations from things like box office ticket sales increased by 47%. The Arts Index is published by The National Campaign for the Arts (NCA), and acts as a snapshot report of the health of England's arts and culture. It is published in partnership with the Creative Industries Federation and King's College London and compares year-on-year figures using 20 key indicators. The latest index, published on Monday, puts the recent figures in the context of the last decade, which saw a UK recession prompt a shift in the income streams for arts organisations. After the
South Africa - Due to the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa all events and large gatherings have been put on hold. As a result, Theo Rood from MJ Event Gear is taking on extra work as a forklift driver and warehouse manager for Viral Armour Sanitiser based in Johannesburg. Viral Armour Sanitiser is also now also available for purchase at DWR Distribution. “I was very fortunate as a good friend of mine owns Mad Giant Brewery, the makers of my favourite craft beer,” Theo explains. “I have been a fan of their product for a few years.” With a ban on alcohol sales in South Africa - which was only lifted at the start of June - the Mad Giant Brewery has ingeniously been converted into a sanitiser manufacturing plant. Not long after, Theo was offered a job to keep himself busy during the lockdown. Meanwhile, DWR Distribution is now, thanks to Theo, also selling Viral A
Blackout Tuesday - The music industry is calling for a ‘Blackout Tuesday’ in response to George Floyd's death. Major record labels have shared a message on social media promising "a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community". Employees have been given Tuesday off as "a day of action", intended to "provoke accountability and change". Interscope vowed not to release new music this week, while Apple Music's Ebro Darden cancelled his radio shows. "We stand together with the black community against all forms of racism, bigotry, and violence," said Columbia Records, which is home to Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Lil Nas X, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Adele. "Now, more than ever, we must use our voices to speak up and challenge the injustices all around us." "In the words of Dr King, 'There comes a time when silence is betrayal.' When you have a res
USA - A theatre lighting designer has launched a podcast to explore what it takes to financially sustain a career in the arts. The Artistic Finance podcast is the brainchild of New York City-based LD and producer Ethan Steimel, who speaks to workers in the entertainment field on how they deal with their personal finances, addressing questions such as why some practitioners do well whilst others never break through to financial security. “Our first interview is with Tony-award winning theatrical lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski,” says Steimel. “We learn how he came from Buffalo, New York all the way to Broadway. His career has spanned more than 40 years, and we learn what his finances looked like through it all.” Steimel is a theatrical lighting designer from Saint Charles, Missouri, who moved to New York City in 2013. He has designed lighting for
