UK - Two of theatre consultancy Charcoalblue's major projects, The New Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and The Newcastle Theatre Royal, have won recognition from the prestigious Civic Trust Awards, which were held at City Hall in Cardiff and supported by Cardiff Council.

In total 86 projects were chosen to receive an award or commendation from 263 national and international entries. The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury was one of just 32 projects to win a coveted Award, while Newcastle Theatre was one of just 46 to receive a Commendation.

The Award winning Marlowe reopened in October 2011 following a major renovation, which saw Charcoalblue work hand-in-hand with the client and Keith Williams Architects to help clarify and develop their vision. This included developing and refining the

Sweden - The charismatic Stora Teatern in Göteborg is one of Sweden's second largest city's most active receiving houses, hosting a wide variety of entertainment - bands, theatre and dance shows, comedy..

The theatre has recently taken delivery of its first Robe moving lights - 10 Robin 800 LEDWashes - which were specified by Joel Karlberg, the venue's chief lighting technician. They also happened to be among the first of this new fixture off Robe's production line in the Czech Republic.

The spectacular neo-Renaissance building designed by Carl Malmberg was originally opened in 1859, and from 1920 to 1994 used to stage opera, operetta and musical productions. Stora Teatern is run by the City and stages up to two or three shows per week in a very lively programme as well as accommodating longer running touring productions sometimes lasting several weeks.

The main stage can b

Spain - The new distributor of Electro-Voice and Dynacord products in Spain has, since the start of 2013, been Pro3 & Co. Founded in 1995 and based in Barcelona, Pro3 & Co. is one of the most highly respected players on the Iberian pro audio scene - not only in the concert sound, but also in the fixed installation and mobile audio sector.

Pro3 & Co.'s reference list is long and features some of the most prestigious projects in Spain. These include halls, such as the Barcelona International Convention Centre, Toledo cathedral, Mallorca's Teatre Principal de Palma and the Centro Cultural Miguel Delibes in Valladolid, as well as a number of soccer stadiums, including FC Barcelona's Camp Nou.

"It's our corporate philosophy to offer our customers solutions tailored to their individual needs," comments Xavier Oliver, Pro3 & Co.'s marketing director. "Now, with Electro

USA - Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1500s are lighting up The Joint, the concert venue for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas where 16 fixtures were recently acquired and hung above the stage.

The Joint is an intimate 4,000 capacity space known for delivering unforgettable live music experiences. With a commitment to remarkable sound, it has earned a reputation as one of the most authentic venues in Las Vegas.

"We used to rent lights then decided to buy them. When we started looking at fixtures we had three lights in mind, including the HPE 1500," says Christopher Lose, lighting designer for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. "We're a rock 'n roll venue and need all the bells and whistles and versatility we can get. We have 10 lighting designers a month who come in wanting different things. So the more tricks our lights have the better."

Lose reports that th

Australia / UK - Sydney will once again be immersed in light, music and creative ideas as Vivid Sydney returns for a fifth year from 24 May to 10 June. For the first time the programme will be streamed live from the web address below. The live streaming will take place 11pm Wednesday 20 March (GMT) / 10am Thursday 21 March 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Vivid Sydney highlights include: the lighting of the iconic Sydney Opera House sails; 3D mapping projections on Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art; interactive light sculptures and installations; public talks, debates and workshops from innovative global creatives and thought leaders in collaboration with Vivid IDEAS; and performances from local and international musicians at Vivid LIVE and Vivid MUSIC.

The 18-day event, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, is a major celebration of the cr

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ETC Halcyon Silent

High End Systems Halcyon Silent builds on ETC’s legacy of fanless automated fixtures by incorporating features from the highly sought-after Halcyon family. Halcyon Silent perfectly balances silent operation with brilliant output of 18,400 lumens and high-impact features. 

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UK - Funktion-One has made history by becoming the first loudspeaker manufacturer to supply sound for a house music event in the Houses of Parliament.

On Wednesday 6 March, a very special music event was staged at the centre of British politics - the Houses of Parliament - as the 'House the House' competition reached its spectacular conclusion. Organised by the charity Last Night A DJ Saved My Life (LNADJ), the two-and-a-half hour musical extravaganza saw a series of inspiring musical performances, including a set by DJ superstar Fatboy Slim.

Headlining the bill was 'House the House' winner Bryce Fury, who won the Final at Ministry of Sound in February. As the competition's winner, he snagged a stunning first-prize package, which also included a fully paid Audio Production Degree Scholarship at SAE Institute worth £20,000, a set at We Love Space in Ibiza and a haul of Ve

USA Behringer has introduced the latest in its Europort product line, the iP40PRO, an all-in-one portable PA system with full Bluetooth connectivity for users "who demand cutting-edge audio coupled with supreme ease of operation". The iP40PRO can handle gatherings of up to 250 people, making it suitable for company gatherings, pool parties, corporate presentations - or any other event requiring fast setup and high-quality audio performance.

The iP40PRO features a 40-Watt, Class-D amplifier; a powerful 8" woofer and high-resolution tweeter housed in a rugged self-contained package; Integrated wheels and a convenient retractable luggage-style handle for ease of transport. To further enhance portability, a rechargeable internal battery provides up to 12 hours of on-the-go operation.

A robust 'Planet Earth' switching power supply offers maximum flexibility (100 - 24

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Create new traditions – Cameo P6 - High Output Full-Spectrum Ellipsoidal

Cameo's P6 is a future-proof LED profiler with a powerful 600 W RGBACL engine and 16,000 lumens. It’s an energy-efficient replacement for 2.5 kW halogen profile lights in theatres and venues. With excellent light quality and natural colour rendering, it fits perfectly in theatres, musicals, TV studios, congresses, and live events.

With an LED life of 50,000 hours and low power use, the P6 cuts energy costs and supports the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goals for climate neutrality by 2050. It also meets updated eco-design rules for lighting.

www.cameolight.com/p6profile

USA - At the USITT Stage Expo in Milwaukee 21-23 March, J. R. Clancy, Inc., will unveil a new rigging control system that expands its SceneControl 5000 line, with the flexibility schools and universities need to grow as their production values become more complex.

Clancy has partnered with Niscon, Inc., creators of the Raynok Motion Control System, to develop the SceneControl 5000 Stage Automation Control System series. The SC5000 series extends the already popular SceneControl series of rigging control systems, taking the system's functionality to unprecedented levels.

The SC5000 series offers multi-level cueing, sub-master control, free and locked groups, and unlimited numbers of axes in a system. There are no restrictions on the quantity of cues in a performance, or on the number of stored show files or concurrent axes in motion.

At USITT, Clancy introduces the SceneContr

UK - The Phoenix School in Peterborough recently hosted their annual charity ball. The theme this year was Spencer's Red Velvet Ball and the evening was supported by Pearce Hire with a striking production and stage set, designed to create the perfect atmosphere for an evening of entertainment and fundraising for this important special needs school, which is recognised as an outstanding Ofsted school.

The black tie event took place at the Atrium at Peterborough Arena, a venue in the East of England recognised for its excellent access, facilities and flexible approach from its staff. The occasion had a number of different areas including a formal sit down dining and stage area, a casino and dance floor. Pearce Hire produced the event with a complete audio, lighting, draping and effects package for the main room and pre and post dinner reception area.

"We have been a

Brazil - 55 years ago, Scania - the Swedish heavy truck maker - began operations in Brazil. Today, Brazil has more Scania trucks than in any other country in the world, with around 40% of all heavy trucks operating in Brazil known to be by Scania.

The company celebrated its successful 55 years of operations in Brazil, at HSBC Brasil. Located in the south zone of São Paulo, the venue is a renowned music hall featuring a high-quality technical infrastructure. Over the years HSBC Brasil has played host to a number of high-calibre musical and theatrical events, and top international artists.

Several shows took place during the event, including an exclusive concert by famous Brazillian artist Jorge Ben.

The performances were lit with a light rig including XR3000 SPOT CMY moving heads and the new high-power compact LED moving heads NRG 1201 from D.T.S.

(Jim Evans)

UK - Star Events Group was recently back in Trafalgar Square, this time with their 13m x 12m Alpha mobile stage to celebrate the Maslenitsa and St. Patrick's Day festivities.

The weekend kicked off on Saturday 16 March with the Russian Maslenitsa Festival. Maslenitsa is the Russian Sun Festival, a celebration of waving farewell to winter and where Russian's all over the world say "Zdravstvui Maslenitsa!" to Spring, welcoming the start of warmth.

The Square was transformed into a bustling bazaar and the stage hosted performances of traditional songs and dance. The event in Trafalgar Square was the grand finale of Russian Week in London (11-17 March).

The Alpha mobile stage built in five hours, ensured that production had maximum time to load in and the quick de-rig of the stage meant that the Square was cleared within a few hours of the event finishing on the load o

Germany - Lab.gruppen will once again be making an appearance at the Messe in Frankfurt in 2013, coinciding with the Prolight+Sound and Musikmesse exhibitions on 10-13 April.

The company is using the occasion to launch a brand new product to market, and while details are being kept strictly under wraps until the official launch in April, a dedicated website - now live at www.thegamechanges.com - hints at what's to come.

However, visitors who want to see the latest innovation from the leading amplifier manufacturer will need to venture into completely new territory, as Lab.gruppen and Lake take over a prime location in the lobby of Hall 4.2 (the hall itself isn't in use) alongside fellow TC Group brands Tannoy, TC Electronic and TC Helicon and distributed brand Dynaudio.

"We won't be making our usual appearance at Prolight+sound in Hall 8.0 this year, but we'll sure be m

Saudi Arabia - A squadron of Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700s and Clay Paky Sharpys lit up Jeddah's Laylati Hall during a celebration to observe International Civil Aviation Day.

Egyptian lighting designer Mohammed Gafar created a lighting rig that emphasised the aerial agility, precision and speed of aviation today, which comprised fast moving, super-bright Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 700s and pure beam Sharpys.

"I chose to use the Alpha Spot HPE 700s and Sharpys for this particular event because we wanted a discreet light source that would deliver maximum effect when required" explains Gafar. "We were keen for the event, which was a sit down dinner and presentation, to look dramatic and exciting and reflect recent achievements of civil aviation. Lighting was used to set the mood and atmosphere of the room but also to enhance and punctuate the video presentation. In

UAE - Showforce has announced Mike Smith as its new chief operating officer. Working closely with Showforce's owner and chairman, Ian Spendlove, Smith will be based in Dubai and oversee the operations, sales and marketing divisions across the Middle East and UK offices. With a longstanding career in catering and event production, encompassing roles at the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington and Eat to the Beat, Smith has spent the last five years working in the Middle East with Action Impact and Blink Events. His extensive portfolio of contacts in this market means he is well placed to lead the next phase in Showforce's business development plan, which includes the Middle East office achieving its ISO 9001 accreditation, says the company.

"I've actually worked alongside Showforce in many capacities during my career, from fellow contractor to supplier and now as employer,&q

Belgium - The Killers Battle Born tour, which has so far crossed the US, Australia and Europe to promote the band's fourth album, has taken ArKaos MediaMaster 3 with its new VideoMapper extension along for the ride.

Show designer Steven Douglas has worked with The Killers before and has this time created a spectacular show, making an advanced use of live camera feeds from various sources, mixed with visual content in real time.

Taking advantage of the multi output capabilities of the ArKaos VideoMapper, Douglas has setup an upstage video wall composed of Pixled F-15 NT, which splits into two separate video screens with the top section measuring 4.6m x 14.6m and the lower section 1.8m x 14.6m, revealing a wall of moving lights and lasers behind it.

On stage, Douglas incorporates more video screens into some of the set elements. Three band risers are covered in a total

USA - Kid Rock and his band, Twisted Brown Trucker, are once again rolling across the US with two months of arena shows between February and April. Along for the ride are not only opening acts Buckcherry and Hellbound Glory, but also another "old friend" - Sound Image's L-Acoustics K1 system.

The 2013 Rebel Soul tour, in support of Kid Rock's latest album of the same name, marks the sixth year that Steve 'Half Pint' Cross has manned FOH for the group. With John 'Haircut' Tompkins once again serving as systems engineer, and Parnelli Award-winning audio system tech Vic 'Beaker' Wagner assisting with PA. setup and optimization, the tour is taking advantage of a full complement of K1, Kudo and Kara loudspeakers, all powered by LA8-equipped LA-RAK.

Similar to Kid Rock's touring system from his Born Free tour with Sheryl Crow two years ago, the main house sys

UK - Richard Martin Lighting (RML) has purchased its first batch of Robe's Robin MMX WashBeam fixtures which have gone into hire stock.

RML is one of the UK's favourite independent hire facilities and a specialist in the worlds of television and live entertainment production.

The company has been renowned for its expertise and authority on moving lights for almost 30 years, and has been right at the forefront of this technology throughout. The purchase of the latest Robe products for its already extensive inventory is no exception.

RML started buying Robe products in 2012 and now already has over 100 fixtures available, including LEDBeam 100s and LEDWash 600s as well as the 24 new MMX WashBeams.

Says RML's marketing coordinator Gemma Jaques, "We feel that Robe has really taken the time to listen to end users and 'got it right' with the current Robin range."

She

Italy - Italy's X Factor 2012 aired from September to December on Sky, with the show broadcast from Teatro della Luna, next to the Forum of Assago in Milan. The winner was declared as Chiara Galiazzo of the Over 25 category, who was awarded a recording contract with Sony Music Italy worth 300,000 Euro.

Italian lighting manufacturer D.T.S. contributed to the success of the show with its new LED moving heads. 82 NICK NRG 1201s, provided by DiBi Technology, were installed in the Teatro della Luna. 36 NRG 1201s were integrated into the setting for a 'particularly incisive visual quality', arranged in six vertical rows in the wide spaces between the LED walls.

Two further parallel rows of NRG 1201s were installed along the sides of the stalls, using all the features of the projectors - colour quality, zoom, strobe - to create a dynamic lighting look.

"The installation of the

UK - Stage Electrics supplied a full Martin Professional lighting solution for The Yonex All England Open Badminton Championship games which took place at the NIA, Birmingham earlier this month.

Recorded and broadcast live on Sky Sports 4 and to over 37 countries around the world, the latest Martin MAC Vipers complemented with over 100 additional Martin MAC 2000 Washes, MAC 700's and MAC Aura's, all controlled from an Avolites Tiger Touch. In addition Stage Electrics' scenic division built scenery elements which included a revolving door complete with sponsors branding used to reveal each star player.

Stage Electrics' live events technical project manager, Mike Jarvis commented, "This is the fourth year we have provided the lighting for the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships. The Martin Professional lighting used worked superbly in achieving what was required

UK - The reconciliation of Status Quo - the Frantic Four - John Coghlan, Alan Lancaster, Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi - formed the highlight of a recent feature-length film documenting the history of Status Quo. So when, for nine UK shows only, the band's classic line-up took to the stage again, the tickets were in more demand than air guitars at a headbangers convention . . . and Yamaha digital mixing consoles played their full part in reuniting the band on stage for the first time in over 30 years.

"Nobody's trying to pretend that it's 1976 again," says front of house engineer Andy May, owner of one of the very first Yamaha PM5D digital consoles to roll off the production line. "But these shows are for the 'hardcore' fans, so we have tried to put on a good, old-fashioned rock'n'roll show."

He and lighting designer Pat Marks have succeeded admirably in t

Germany - Goethe University Frankfurt am Main is a modern, research-oriented university in the heart of Germany. As a Stiftungsuniversität (a university privately funded by a foundation) and citizens' university, it is closely associated with the city and the region of Frankfurt. Westend

Campus Westend of the Goethe University Frankfurt nestles in a burst of parkland, yet directly borders Frankfurt's downtown, boasting a wealth of eateries, shops, theatres and other recreational facilities. The buildings of Campus Westend are based around the Neo-Realist IG Farben Building , while immediately beyond the campus boundaries you can find splendid art deco residences and cutting-edge modernist architecture.

The House of Finance building is part of a gigantic investment by the State of Hesse to build a new site for the Goethe University. The House of Finance is encompassing 14,000

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