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UK - The Lighting Programme, an opportunity for graduate lighting designers and technicians, has announced the participants of its 2021/22 edition.
The programme is run by SLX, a lighting and production company based in Bristol. It aims to foster young, upcoming talent within the industry - especially important in the post-Covid era, where many are struggling to recruit.
This year, five students were selected instead of the initial offer of four places, due to the exceptionally high standard of applications.
The five students all graduate next year, and will gain experience working a number of jobs at venues around the UK, the first of which is a fit-up inside the London Palladium. They will also be introduced by SLX to key industry figures at events such as PLASA/ABTT London, as well as having access to equipment for use on their course projects.
The five

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UK - Backup recognises the need to positively communicate with colleagues and to be aware of how they might be feeling and to ensure that they are not suffering alone, so this year’s PLASA Show sees the charity launching a free Mental Health First Aider course sponsored by Unusual Rigging in memory of Alan Jacobi who was a long-serving and valued Backup Trustee.
“Alan was always concerned about the welfare of his colleagues, and it is wonderful that Unusual Rigging has sponsored this course in his memory,” says Backup chair, John Simpson. “We are not good at asking for help or asking others if they need help. We want to change that.”
In general, the role of a mental health first aider is to be a point of contact for anyone who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. This interaction can range from having an initial conversation through to
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UK - After two years PLASA Show has finally returned to Olympia London for three days of long awaited networking, learning and discovery. The show floor is filling up with eager visitors and the seminar and training programme is in full swing.
Always an unmissable feature is Robe’s stand (E19) which runs regular presentations of their latest lighting fixtures. This year’s design is entitled The Show Goes On, a nod to the live sector’s challenges throughout COVID. The focus will be on Robe’s TE – Transferable Engine technology. Plus, visitors can look forward to seeing the recently launched T2 along with a preview of the not-yet-released T11. Also in action is the Forte, Robe’s highest powered LED moving light.
The show floor is brimming with new products, many have been awaiting release or were developed throughout the pandemic. On the audio front

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USA - Behind The Scenes has reminded that September is National Suicide Awareness Month - “and while we may be getting back to work, the need for awareness and action is greater than ever,” says the charity.
“Underemployment, new demands in the workplace, and worry about the future are all contributing to the negative impact on mental health. The reality is that many are not coping well and reports of suicide are on the rise,” adds BTS.
Running from 5-11 September, National Suicide Prevention Week is an opportunity to learn what you can do to help those you may be concerned about on the job or at home, as well as find resources that may help you today or in the future. Visit btshelp.org/bethe1 to learn how to re

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Socially Distanced - The Royal Shakespeare Company will host a series of socially distanced performances of its new musical throughout November and December to cater for audiences that do not want to attend a full-capacity show. Seven socially distanced performances of The Magician’s Elephant have been scheduled throughout the three-month run, which marks the reopening of the RSC’s main house in Stratford-Upon-Avon for the first time since the pandemic began.
At each of the designated performances, audiences will be seated with an empty row in front of and behind them, and with one empty seat between parties to ensure one-metre-plus social distancing. Audience members attending these shows will also be asked to wear a face mask throughout their visit unless exempt. The RSC is currently only staging shows at its outdoor theatre, which is running at full capacity. I

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South Korea - Blumano, entertainment industry consultants in safety and machinery design, is expanding into the Asian market with the announcement of Blumano East Asia. The new operation will work closely with Blumano's network of offices in Ireland, the UK, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Laurent Ste-Marie joins this organisation and brings with him 25-years’ experience and vast knowledge of the acrobatic rigging world
''Seeing how the entertainment industry is bouncing back from an unfortunate dip, the timing seemed right to take on a new and exciting challenge by joining yet another industry leader,” says Laurent. “Through our exchanges we realised that our passion for the industry, vision, and dedication for the promotion of a safe work environment would make a partnership between us a perfect fit.”

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Australia - Marshall Day Acoustics (MDA) has announced that its Theatre & AV Design division, Marshall Day Entertech will be succeeded by new independent company Entertech Australia. The company will be led by former MDA staff members and theatre specialists Micah Johnson and Kate Kelly.
“We are thrilled for Micah and Kate and what this change will bring. On behalf of the board and leadership team, we thank Micah and Kate for all their efforts as members of the MDA team and look forward to seeing their new business develop in the future,” said Marshall Day Acoustics’ co-CEO Amanda Robinson.
MDA says it made the decision to split the company in order to increase operational efficiencies and return focus to the core area of the business, acoustics.
“Kate and I are excited to begin a new chapter as an independent business, after fifteen years as part of

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UK - PLASA Show 2021 will reopen its doors this weekend to reunite industry professionals at Olympia London after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic - and time is running out for visitors to secure their free entry passes.
Taking place from 5-7 September, the show will welcome back leading brands from pro audio, AV, lighting and stage technologies, who will take up residence in Olympia’s Grand Hall alongside the ABTT Theatre Show which is relocating for one year only.
“In light of the monumental shifts felt by the live events and entertainment sector over the past 18 months, PLASA Show 2021 will be people-centred, with inclusive networking spaces, support resources and learning opportunities,” say the organisers.
Free registration ends at midnight tonight, 31 August – those wishing to claim a free entry pass should head over to

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UK - Industry charity Backup has long recognised the technical entertainment industry as an exciting, but challenging place to work and is committed to helping those who face the pressure and stress involved by providing further help and support.
Now, the charity has launched a free helpline that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide a centralised access point for both urgent and non-urgent well-being support.
The helpline offers a number of options, from a dedicated Backup counsellor, to direct transfer to other industry charities, including the Music Support Helpline, Theatre Helpline and the Samaritans. Upon selecting one of the above options, you will be transferred directly to the support you require.
The Backup Counsellor option is a free, independent and confidential phone service with a certified counsellor who has a broad experience

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UK - The Royal College of Music (RCM) in South Kensington is home to various studio facilities, available for private hire in the heart of London. Services and facilities offered include music recording, video production, web streaming, audio-visual research and development.
The original studio was founded in 1967 and was the first electronic studio at any UK academic institution. Today, the studio complex is housed directly underneath the RCM Concert Hall. The Belle Shenkman Studio, a spacious live room, contains its own Steinway Model D grand piano, three control rooms linked to performance spaces around the campus, and three rooms dedicated to composition, production and editing. In addition to the core work within the College, RCM Studios offers a commercial service to clients including major broadcasters, record companies and leading international soloists.
Sam Gl

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USA - The Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative has announced a key addition to its Toolbox Talks programme: One-Sheets on a range of topics designed to delve deeper into common issues currently impacting entertainment industry workers as they navigate fluctuating work situations and frequently changing Covid protocols.
As the industry continues to transition and re-open, industry leadership and supervisors are observing significant anxiety in the workplace and are requesting tools to help their crews better navigate and manage the return to work. One-Sheets briefly describe general mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression and substance use, and offer basic information and resources around these prevalent issues within the industry
We must continue raising awareness and normalizing the conversation around mental health and emotiona

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Europe - The Sennheiser Sound Academy is inviting everyone interested in wireless audio to a mini-series of two live seminars that will explain the new Evolution Wireless Digital system (for an in-depth technical review, read the September 2021 issue of LSi).
Seminar 1 takes place on 31 August at 12:30 p.m. CEST and gets you started on benefits, features and operation. Seminar 2 takes place on 14 September, again at 12:30pm CEST, takes things further by taking a more in-depth look at the system. The hosts will be answering any questions that participants need to address. To register, visit this

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Qatar - L-Acoustics has announced that Edge Electronics has joined the loudspeaker manufacturer’s family as its newest certified provider distributor for Qatar.
Edge Electronics offers a complete service with its audio, video and lighting products, as well as providing training and technical support. This has made it one of Qatar’s leading AV distributors and secured Edge Electronics’ involvement in the majority of the area’s high-profile projects. Adding L-Acoustics completes the AV spectrum for its clients.
“We take pride in distributing some of the world’s most innovative AV brands across the board enabling us to work closely with our clients offering on-site assistance and 24/7 support,” says Pratap Singh, general manager at Edge Electronics. “Working in a fast-paced market as Qatar, holding local stock enables us to exceed our clients’ expectati

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Pilot Programme - Further findings from the government’s Covid pilot programme claim that mass participation events "can be conducted safely", with case numbers from four months of crowds remaining in line with, or below, community infection rates. Little to no coronavirus cases were detected among audiences that had attended several theatre pilots, including indoor and outdoor performance.
The second release of data from the Events Research Programme, covering phases II and III of the pilot scheme, concluded that major events can take place in a safe way and demonstrates how certification can be "effectively implemented at large events". The findings cover all 37 test events, which took place in England across a four-month period between April and July, however the latest research includes pilots specifically intended to test events of increased size and scale.
Acco

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UK - The Sustainability in Production Alliance (SiPA) is joining forces with four greener touring, live entertainment and events organisations at this year’s PLASA Show for an open panel discussion to explore how we can transform, together, to create a better future.
Entitled Becoming a Sustainable Industry - because this is a not a rehearsal, the event will take place at the PLASA Show Seminar Theatre at Olympia London at 15:30 on 6 September. It will bring together key sustainability experts from SiPA, TAIT, LIVE Green, the Tour Production Group, the Theatre Green Book and isla, who will share ways in which the industry can reduce emissions and become net zero by 2050.
The hour-long, deep-dive discussion will be moderated by Carol Scott, principal sustainability advocate at TAIT and SiPA, with panellists Evie Redfern, a third-year Theatre Production student

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UK - The programme for PLASA Show 2021 has been unveiled, bringing a rich line-up of seminars and training sessions to the trade event that takes place on 5-7 September at Olympia London.
Sponsored by Vectorworks, the programme is set to deliver in-depth content on the future of live production, immersive product experiences and plenty of practical training, bringing skills and knowledge to the forefront of the show experience.
All sessions are free for pre-registered attendees (you can get your free entry pass by 31 August - find out more here), with details of the schedule available on the show website. More content will be added over the coming weeks, say the or

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UKThe Skylark Collective has announced Shure as headline partners for this year’s inaugural International Women’s Podcast Awards. The IWPA is an event ‘celebrating the very best female-led moments in podcasting of the last year, where recognition will be given to women in podcasting, both behind the mic and behind the scenes, who have created incredible audio moments and intimate listening experiences’.
Naomi Mellor, founder of the International Women’s Podcast Awards, said: “I am so excited to announce Shure as our headline partners for the awards. Their passion for creating great microphones and audio electronics has been recognised by podcasters the world over, making them a staple of the podcasting community. Their support for women and non-binary podcasters at the International Women’s Podcast Awards helps us provide an opportunity for women from all over

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UK - Following its recent re-location to a larger premises, Stevenage based film, television and event rigging specialists Rigging Team has expanded its footprint, not only to accommodate a growing inventory, but to also provide space for a much needed, industry specific, training centre.
Rigging Team managing director, Adam Searle explains, “Training is something that we have been passionate about for many years – although there is no substitute for real-world experience, everyone can benefit from gaining additional knowledge or skills. The courses are designed specifically to suit our industry - whether it’s a specific discipline, or a bespoke combination of courses,”.
The new 2,600sq.ft Rigging Team Training Centre, located just 20 minutes from London by train, features a generous classroom and presentation space, along with a practical training area where

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UK - Quay Light now owns several hundred Astera LED fixtures with the largest stock in Scotland, and Paul Bates, who has built a very successful career as a best boy in the film and television lighting sector, is now focusing full time on this business. He has been constantly busy throughout 2020 and 2021 as the pandemic has prompted a surge in demand for film, TV and video material.
Paul has enjoyed a successful career looking after the lighting needs and wishes of a host of leading DOPs and gaffers on set and on location, and for the last 10 years has owned an amount of innovative specialist lighting kit, carefully selected to help offer clients and their productions the best and most effective solutions.
The first Astera products that Paul purchased back in 2019 were a set of Titan tubes when he was best boy on TV drama The Nest with DOP Matt Gray. He saw Mat

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Australia Working with its dealer, ULA Group, ChamSys has increased its presence in that market by naming Audio Visual Engineering Pty (AVE) as a distributor of its QuickQ line of consoles. The company’s MagicQ products will continue to be represented exclusively by the ULA Group, which will also continue to serve as a QuickQ distributor.
As a result of this move, ChamSys says it will be in ‘an optimal position to serve the entire spectrum of the lighting console market in Australia, from mobile entertainers and users focused on small and mid-sized functions, to those working at broadcast studios and major arena tours’.
“I’m excited to see AVE joining the ChamSys family,” said Aziz Adilkhodjaev, international sales and business development manager for ChamSys. “With their full focus only on QuickQ range, I’m confident, AVE will help us develop the marke

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Reselling Regulations - The UK's competition watchdog has said ticket resale firms such as Viagogo and StubHub should face tighter rules. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said current laws meant it was not possible to act swiftly and effectively against touts. Another problem came from resellers who speculatively sold tickets they did not own, the regulator said.
The CMA has previously taken action against both Viagogo and StubHub, which have made changes as a result. In February, a year after Viagogo bought StubHub for $4.1bn (£3.1bn), the regulator told Viagogo to sell all of StubHub's business outside North America to satisfy competition concerns. The CMA's latest intervention comes as big music and sporting events are set to resume in the UK in the next few months after the Covid pandemic, fuelling fans' demand for tickets.
The watchdog's recommendation

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UK - Audient is offering a promotion to aspiring console owners in the UK who wish to upgrade their setup with one of the company’s ASP Series consoles. The offer is valid between now and the end of October, and Audient has teamed up with finance company Azule to provide bespoke financial packages to buyers of Audient consoles.
In addition to the finance, those who already own a mixing desk from any manufacturer can trade it in in order to bring the monthly payments for a new ASP4816 or ASP8024-HE down to a manageable level. The financial deals have the possibility of being underwritten by the UK Government Recovery Loan Scheme.
UK sales manager Bryn Wildish explains: “We want to assist the ongoing recovery of the audio industry by giving studios a helping hand. Being able to upgrade to your own Audient console for a relatively small monthly fee, means studio owner

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Germany - Magic Light + Sound GmbH (MLS) has invested in 88 Robe Esprites to facilitate its ongoing work in the television lighting sector.
After an initial dip in March 2020, business has now re-built. “Like everyone, immediately the pandemic hit everything slowed down,” explains co-CEO Marco Pütz, “but after a few months, the pace picked up again, so we re-scaled to suit the new circumstances and have now fully re-opened.”
Marco’s grandfather, Heinz Pütz, originally founded the company in 1961 to service the burgeoning film industry in and around Cologne. Marco Pütz is now a co-CEO together with Thomas Hessling.
Once things stabilised and were rolling again, Pütz and Hessling saw this time as an opportunity to invest in some of Robe’s latest LED moving light technology.
They wanted something new to boost their already substantial 3000 str

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USA - The Behind the Scenes Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative has posted the Autumn schedule for online Mental Health First Aid training for entertainment industry workers in the US at btshelp.org/mhfa.
The Delta variant has now clouded the road map for the return to work and created additional stress and anxiety for those scheduled to resume work over the next few months, as well as those currently employed who are trying to cope with constantly changing safety protocols. Reports from around the industry show a rising level of concern for the mental wellbeing of industry workers, and individuals who have responsibility for others working with or under them are increasingly asking for training in how to provide support to those workers.
Mental Health First Aid takes the fear and hesitation out of starting conversations about mental health and substance us
  1. Sightline invests in Prolights EclPanels
  2. Pixmondo selects ROE Visual for new studio
  3. ARRI Rental to move US HQ to Long Island City
  4. FiFi Sound invests in more Robe
  5. NATEAC supports Behind the Scenes
  6. The Week in Light & Sound
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