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France - Six performers from Streb Extreme Action performed a real aerial feat at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris this Autumn, with a little help from Unusual Rigging.
The event, which took place on 13-14 October, was part of a festive family weekend hosted by Theatre du Châtelet and the Musée d'Orsay, exploring Picasso's passion for the circus which is expressed in the blue and pink period of his work.
Unusual's Robin Elias has worked with Elizabeth Streb on several of her other projects over the years including performances on the London Eye and on the front of Bergdorf Goodman's New York department store as it revealed its Christmas holiday window display. He explained. "This was a fantastic project to be involved with. Our task was to help the phenomenal acrobats perform safely in the nave of the Orsay on the faces of two towers...all the while making sure that the

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USA - Former PLASA director Chris Toulmin has joined Entech Roadshow in an advisory role ahead of the first Entech USA Roadshow in April.
Toulmin has over 35 years of experience in the entertainment industry. As a director of events at PLASA he was responsible for delivering the PLASA Show following the event’s relocation to London Olympia and also oversaw the the Association’s regional Focus shows.
Toulmin comments: “I am delighted to be working with Entech Roadshow LLC as a consultant on the inaugural US Roadshow in 2019. This tried and tested formula in the Australia/New Zealand market is a great fit for the expansive geography of the significant North American market. It’s a refreshing new model that adds in a positive way to what has gone before and brings a new level of convenience, accessibility and networking for decision makers and industry knowledge
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UK - SXS Events recently used Current RMS’ Open API to create a number of integrations to streamline workflow. The Open API is available for any of their software users to access and build with, for them to develop exciting and useful integrations that utilise their data within Current RMS.
Established in 1998, UK-based SXS Events specialises in event production and dry hire, and has grown to be a multi-million pound event production company. Using the Current RMS Open API, they created X Hire, a platform for their clients to view products directly on their website and hire them. Built to work alongside their normal website, this space allows them to pull across products and key information from Current RMS and onto a platform their new and existing clients can easily access and view.
“The website is a great tool for both the office team and clients. Instead of t

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UK - A new 1000mm Heavy Duty Boom Arm capable of taking the weight of a moving light has been launched by Doughty Engineering. The latest addition to the Boom Arm range is set to offer users an attractive solution without the need for a brace.
Mark Chorley, design engineer at Doughty, explains: "Our Boom Arm range is already extremely popular with our customers. The regular Boom Arm works well in most scenarios and has a 25kg Safe Working Load. However, the feedback we were getting from customers is that they wanted something that would allow them to hang moving lights in environments where the overall aesthetic is important."
He continues: "Up until now, anyone wanting to hang a moving light would have to use our Braced Boom Arm which is capable of taking a 100kg weight. However this depends on a brace support which, while effective isn't necessarily the most attracti

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UK - After two years of building works, the revamped front of house spaces at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden opened to the public this autumn. As part of the renovation, a number of exhibitions and displays now enhance the new spaces and offer visitors the opportunity to learn more about the Royal Opera House and the art forms it supports as well as showcasing the ROH's past and present to inspire every day audiences. Unusual Rigging were brought on board to help devise a way of installing a number of scrims over the escalator leading to the newly refurbished spaces on Level 5.
Sarah Tatham, exhibitions manager at the Royal Opera house explains: "We approached Leon Ingram, Unusual's rigging project manager, in March 2018 to discuss the best way to hang the scrims. A principally artistic endeavour, the scrims required a technically complex hang and design. Un

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USA - ANSI's Board of Standards Review approved four ESTA standards - three new or revised and one for reaffirmation without changes.
These are:
ANSI ES1.19-2018: Safety Requirements for Special Event Structures, is a new standard written as part of comprehensive event safety suite, with this section helping to identify design, fabrication, operation and use, inspection and maintenance requirements for the portable structures included in its scope. This is the first of several more to come, in a comprehensive set of event safety standards, co-branded and developed in conjunction with the Event Safety Alliance.
ANSI E1.29-2009 (R2018): Product Safety Standard for Theatrical Fog Generators that Create Aerosols of Water, Aqueous Solutions of Glycol or Glycerin, or Aerosols of Highly Refined Alkane Mineral Oil, is a reaffirmation of ANSI E1.29-2009. T

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Denmark - Copenhagen’s magnificent Østre Gasværk Teater in the city’s Østerbro district is housed in a former gas holder once part of the old Eastern Gasworks complex, built in 1878 and designed by Martin Nyrop, also the architect of Copenhagen City Hall.
The venue has functioned as a performance space since the 1970s, however in the last year an extensive technical refit and major rigging upgrade has involved the installation of a completely new free-standing steel grid internal structure, together with a Kinesys automation system – featuring the latest Kinesys Apex chain hoists and DigiHoist control.
The theatre started off presenting alternative dance works and hosting concerts and fashion shows as well as gripping dramas. Over the years the production requirements have become steadily more complex and ambitious.
In 2016, the Østre Gasværk Theatre

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Europe - Prolyte Group presented its distributor awards at its bi-annual networking event for distributors.
The Partner Immersion Event was held at Prolyte’s International Training Centre in Emsdetten, Germany to bring together distributors from all over the world.
To thank partners for “the trust, support and contribution to the Prolyte brand”, Prolyte Group presented the following awards to their distributors:
Platinum Award ProlyteStructures: AED Distribution; Platinum Award StageDex: AED Distribution; Platinum Award StageDex: Bellalite; Platinum Award ProlyteStructures: Cast C.Adolph & RST Distribution; Platinum Award ProLyft: DWR Distribution; Platinum Award ProLyft: Huss Licht & Ton; Platinum Award StageDex: Stage Electrics: Project of the Year Award: DP Music; Project of the Year Award: EES - Entertainment Equipment Supplies; Consistent Devel

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UK - Full technical production services provider Pearce Hire has added a Prolyte Arc Roof staging system, supplied by Stage Electrics, to its hire stock.
The Prolyte Arc Roof System is a fixed construction, based on three inward-curving trusses which are mounted to side masts. Since its delivery, the system has been used for a festival and an urban running event and has also been specified for several Christmas Light switch-ons and outdoor winter festivals.
Jim Brown, general manager at Pearce Hire, comments: “We’ve got a significant amount of Prolyte kit already - trusses, towers, rigging towers and accessories. So we were already familiar with the quality of Prolyte products and ease of handling. We were particularly attracted to the Arc Roof system because of its well-considered assembly process which is critical to the challenging set-up times our client proje

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South Africa - DWR Distribution's annual Prolyte rigging course will be hosted at DWR's HQ in Johannesburg from 28 January to 2 February 2019.
Presented by Rinus Bakker of Rhino Rigs, the course will cover a range of topics from safety, maintenance, lifting materials and force calculations to load tables. The last day of the course is a practical session.
Those interested should be competent in mathematics, says DWR. Delegates who pass the course will receive certification and 48 SACIA CPD points.
The cost is R9 750 including VAT and includes lunch and refreshments. Bookings can be made online.
(Jim Evans)

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Spain - EXE Technology has announced SeeSound as its exclusive distributor in Spain, effective 5 November.
The EXE Technology brand identifies a range of fixed and variable speed electric chain hoists, motorised trolleys and relevant tracking systems, loads cell interfaces and hoist controllers for the entertainment and exhibition industries. Their products have been engineered to safely manoeuvre stage equipment, scenery, video walls and other related structures, before, during and after performances.
Established in 2004, and led by Nacho Alberdi, SeeSound boasts an experienced commercial department, avant-garde project and engineering department, and a solid administration and logistics department.
Specializing in “integral solutions”, SeeSound participates in the development and supply of a diverse range of projects for theatres, hotels, sport pavilions,

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UK - The UK entertainment technology industry is valued at £1.28bn in 2017/18 and its value is predicted to grow over the next five years, according to a new research report by PLASA.
The study - said by PLASA to be 'the most comprehensive study of the entire entertainment technology industry in many years' - is available to download from plasa.org. It delves into each market sector’s performance and also looks at the effects of macro-environment trends and employment.
According to the findings, all sectors have experienced growth, particularly AV and audio, which represent 38% and 27% of the market share respectively. AV is currently valued at £490m and has an increasing presence in many sectors including architectural and retail. Audio is valued at £340m due to its

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Singapore - Loud Technologies Asia (LTA) took the lead in organising a rigging safety awareness seminar in their new showroom and training facility in Singapore.
The seminar was organised in conjunction with Prolyte Asia Pacific (PAP) and was conducted by technical manager Jasper van der Sluis.
Colin Quek, owner and managing director of LTA, comments: “Although we are the Prolyft Service Point for Singapore and dedicated dealer for Prolyte, Doughty and Protos load measuring systems, we believe it’s important to show as many aspects of safe rigging in general regardless of the brand or country of origin.
“Among other demonstrations, it was demonstrated by using load cells how loads can react on a truss which is suspended from three chain hoists and by moving the load over the truss.”
(Jim Evans)

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China - NeuroTech Asia has become the first owner of the Prolyte Space Roof System in the Asia Pacific region.
The company, which provides AV and staging services in China and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, first contracted with Prolyte in early 2018 to purchase staging systems from its Mammoth ground support system. To meet the increased demand for staging equipment, NeuroTech recently purchased Prolyte’s Space Roof system.
The roof can be suspended from standard Prolyte CT towers and can be built up to 37 x 22 meters in size, offered a loading capacity of 30t UDL + 2x 4T PA which was easily installed, which helps meet the needs of touring artists. With reducing the stage opening (standard 31m), the loading capacity can be easily increased up to 50t. The space roof structure can also be easily adapted in size every 2.072m in width and depth. With maintaining

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UK - Dry hire and production company Fiend Productions provided a Sixty82 trussing system for the Progress Wrestling 2018 shows at London's historic Alexandra Palace and SSE Arena Wembley.
Progress Wrestling, a British professional wrestling promotion, ran its first show in 2012 at The Garage in Islington. Since then it has grown t into major venues in the UK, including Ally Pally and the Wembley Arena.
Jess Matthews, managing director of Fiend Productions, approached A.C. Entertainment Technologies (AC-ET) to invest in high load trussing for the shows at Ally Pally. After being provided with a range of options by Steven Farnsworth in UK sales at AC-ET, Matthews decided on Sixty82.
He comments: “The quality of the welds and construction of the Sixty82 truss is very noticeable, and the high load capacity allows us to be a lot more creative.”
Each secti

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Austria - Hire and events company GETEC Eventtechnik has completed many demanding projects over the years, such as Red Bull’s Wings for Life World Run, Air Race, Formula 1 and PlayStreets, as well as the world cycling championships.
The company relies on the exclusive use of Milos aluminium structural components and roofs systems. “Milos is the only trussing and support structure company that is able to meet our exacting demands. They’re a real partner for us and are able to work quickly and at a high technical level”, says Jakob Gailhofer, owner of GETEC.
The largest structure they have ever provided was for the Andrea Berg stage this year at the Open Air Concert in Aspach, Germany. The structure was a Milos 16m x 12m MR4 roof with four MT2 towers. It featured a versatile arched rain cover system based on M520 truss with specially designed polygon elements.

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Serbia - In September, LITEC delivered its Alusfera 2.0 roof structure to the Novi Sad 2021 Foundation for use in a classical concert staged in the Novi Sad town square in Serbia. The Alusfera structure was specifically selected not only for its shape and impressive loading characteristics, but also to assist in the creation of an outdoor “opera house effect”.
The company who delivered the Alusfera structure to the Novi Sad Foundation for this event was AVL Projekt, a leading distributor in Serbia. Projekt design, engineer and install tailor-made solutions for their clients and ensure their efficient operation with on-site training. The also provide acoustic calculations and light & audio designs.
“The service we received from LITEC for this event was greatly appreciated. LITEC’s sales representative, Jan Cernota, worked with us during the selling process a

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USA - ESTA and USITT have announced the initial sponsors for the 2019 New World Rigging Symposium, taking place on 19-20 March 2019 in conjunction with the USITT Conference and Stage Expo 2019 in Louisville.
Returning as the Platinum Sponsor is Stage Rigging, a theatrical rigging company that provides rigging services for tours, corporate and special events. Chris Schmidt, vice-president and general manager of Stage Rigging, says: “Stage Rigging is thrilled to once again be part of the New World Rigging Symposium, a great place for riggers that want to achieve higher trims.”
Additional sponsors for the 2019 event are: Gold - J.R. Clancy; Silver - Kish Rigging; and Bronze - H&H Specialties, The Light Source, Motion Labs, Reed Rigging, Sapsis Rigging, and Stagemaker.
One Gold sponsorship, three Silver sponsorships, and two Bronze sponsorships are still ava

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UK - Colour Sound Experiment supplied lighting and LED screens for the Wave Goodbye concert by UK synth pop duo Soft Cell, who reunited after 17 years for one final show at London’s O2 Arena.
Award-winning lighting designer Rob Sinclair helped build the ambience and vibes for this sold-out pop music moment for the band who’ve occupied some hypnotically catchy and viscerally emotional space in the slightly darker echelons of 1980s synth pop.
Once he was confirmed on the creative team along with set designer Ric Lipson from Stufish, Rob started imagining the lighting.
It was also being streamed live to cinemas around the UK and Ireland and recorded for a live CD and DVD/Blu-ray release in 2019.
Both Rob and production manager Kamal Ackerie agreed early on that they wanted Colour Sound to be involved in the event, “We needed a London company that

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UK - Specialist lighting and rigging services provider TSL has appointed account handlers Dominic Sheerman and Loz Wilcox to its board of directors.
Sheerman and Wilcox joined TSL from Basingstoke-based conference and event lighting specialist Blinding Light in 2017 prior to its acquisition by TSL at the start of 2018.
TSL MD, Sam Tamplin, comments: “We’ve reached the stage where we are a team of more than 60 people. It was time to strengthen the management structure, ready for the next stage of development. Since Blinding Light joined us, we’ve all taken the time to settle in and figure out how we work together, and now the time is right.”
(Jim Evans)

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The Netherlands - Load and force monitoring systems company PROTOS has only been active since July but has already acquired partners in Holland, China, Canada, Australia and India.
Jasper van der Sluis, director and co-owner of PROTOS, comments: “The entertainment industry is constantly and quickly developing to keep up with the latest developments. While the audience's hunger for state of the art shows keeps growing. Concerts, plays and shows are constantly evolving and it seems like each iteration has to be more spectacular than the last."
"Through our work with Prolyte and Doughty Asia Pacific and Prolyte Doughty Japan, we have noticed a strongly growing demand for force measuring equipment on a global scale. A demand for a system that is easy to set up, understand and above all, a system that ensures a safe working environment."
“We are still expanding t

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Europe - Milos has announced the release of its latest 3D component libraries for direct use with AutoDesk platforms and other DWG file compatible CAD systems.
The library contains over 1000 new blocks from the vast range of truss systems available from the Milos portfolio. The new edition features quick-snap assembly points as well as pre-assigned component attributes including part codes, system weights, dimensions and accurate bracing patterns for rigging and set construction integration.
Visit the Milos Download Centre to download the files.
(Jim Evans)

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UK - After taking Las Vegas by storm, Channing Tatum is bringing a new production of Magic Mike Live to London this autumn. Opening at the Hippodrome Casino in November, full service technical production company Hawthorn has been chosen to supply lighting equipment to the production.
Conceived and co-directed by Tatum, Magic Mike Live is a large-scale, live production show based on the hit films Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL. The show will see the theatre at the Hippodrome Casino transformed into an intimate 325-seat in-the-round performance space where guests will witness artists perform a 360° dance and acrobatic spectacular.
Hawthorn is supplying lighting from its extensive hire range to meet the specification of theatre lighting designer Philip Gladwell. Having designed the rig for the Las Vegas production, Gladwell has modified it to

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USA - Doughty Engineering is set to launch the new Fifty Clamp at this year's LDI. The clamp which will make its debut on booth 1827 has TUV approval, a safe working load of 50kg and has been designed to fit tube diameter 38mm-51mm. Made from pressure die cast aluminium ensures it prevents damage to thin wall truss. It is captive with M10 or M12 bolts and comes supplied with an M10 fixing kit.
Mark Chorley, design engineer at Doughty commented: "We've been working on the Fifty Clamp for a little while, so we're very excited to be launching it at LDI this year. Our Twenty Clamp is one of our best-selling pieces of kit and we realised that a clamp which could take a safe working load of 50kg would be a welcome addition to the range."
Doughty's Omega Space Saver will also make its debut at the show. Mark continued: “We actually brought the prototype version with us to
  1. LDI 2018: Kinesys highlights Apex hoist system
  2. Mountview gets trolley service from Doughty
  3. VisionLite invests in Kinesys Apex
  4. LITEC brings innovation to PLASA
  5. Ladder Association launches training initiative
  6. ChainMaster projects in Moscow and Zurich
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