Strapped for Cash

With sustainability topping the agenda of many organisations who are endeavouring to “build back better,” GEI’s inaugural summer edition gathered delegates virtually from all over the world to witness a host of panels broadcast live from PYTCH in Bristol, UK

The A Greener Tour panel, chaired by production manager Wob Roberts, focussed on the work behind making Bring Me The Horizon’s tour as environmentally friendly as possible. This involved a “360-degree dialogue of learning with the whole industry” to find out what is already possible in terms of sustainability, as well as the many projects that people are working on to improve their carbon footprints. The session revealed many of the steps that vendors are taking to bolster their green credentials and underlined the need for open communications so that the entire ecosystem can benefit.

Putting venues in the spotlight, A Greener Arena Emerging saw Teresa Moore (A Greener Festival) joined by Dale Vince from Ecotricity, Emma Ball from the NEC, and Lee Lacey from London’s O2 arena. Vince explained that 80% of everyone’s carbon footprint lies in energy, transport, and food, and by targeting those three specific areas, huge results are possible. Ball spoke of the new-found enthusiasm displayed by event stakeholders in working together to tackle the climate emergency. Whilst Lacey underlined how key artist engagement with fans is in delivering messages about sustainability, thus helping venues and the industry in general to achieve green targets.

The event also saw UK industry organisation LIVE reveal its united action declaration, which involves sectors across the live music business working together to agree a common stance on the environment and a voluntary charter setting out directions for the industry over the next few years.

LIVE Green Working Group chair John Langford explained that the pause due to the pandemic had allowed many like-minded people to debate how live entertainment could become more sustainable, as well as giving the time and space to allow the drawing up of plans on how to achieve cross-industry cooperation. To date, 13 industry organisations have signed the declaration.

Artists Creating Change saw Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, DJ Eli Soul Clap, and a panel of industry professionals discuss the power of artists and musicians when it comes to communicating positive environmental messages to the masses and bringing about real change.

Fearlessly Feminine, hosted by A Greener Festival’s Claire O’Neill, saw Khalila Sandrah Mbowe, founder and CEO of Unleashed Africa Social Ventures, speak about the organisation’s work in youth development, social innovation, and job creation, and her passion for creating brands that can transform Africa; Claire Dubois, founder of TreeSisters, explained the organisation’s remit as a social change and tropical reforestation programme; and Diné (Navajo) activist Pat McCabe (Woman Stands Shining) highlighted the work of indigenous peoples around the world in fighting to maintain the way of life – working in harmony with nature and the earth – that they have enjoyed for millennia.

Other sessions included Creativity Conquers Conflict; Carbon Removals & Climate Heating; Sustainable Signage & Branding; the Tyndall Centre’s Massive At-

tack Research; Greening Sports; Energy &

Power; and Live From the Fields, which examined some sustainability measures that were introduced at 2021 events.

Video footage of GEI’s summer edition is available online for all delegates, while on-demand access is still available for £55 (inc VAT) by emailing hello@agreenerfestival.com.

SOUND, LIGHTS & SCREENS:

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK

As festivals and gigs start to resume in earnest, sound, lighting and video screen contractors are suddenly finding themselves inundated with business again. Derek Robertson learns about the rollercoaster ride that suppliers have experienced during the pandemic.

Do you remember at which point the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic first hit home? For some, it was when they suspended all flights to mainland China. Or when the UK government admitted that we faced a “substantial period of disruption… due to the outbreak.” For others it was the realisation that, after the announcement on 9 March of a strict nationwide quarantine in Italy, lockdowns were coming to us all. For those whose livelihoods were invested in the music industry, watching all of this unfold prompted an increasing feeling of dread.

For Yvonne Donnelly Smith, music lighting sales director of PRG – a global company operating audio, camera, lighting, and various other production services – that latter date was particularly significant. “I got my first email from Bryan Adams’ team saying: ‘All shows cancelled due to Corona,” she says. “That was quickly followed by The Script, who cancelled because someone in the touring party had caught Covid. Then the domThousands of ino effect really started to kick in.”professionals read

As she tells it, every day two or three more IQ every day. Make tours would cancel as the reality of the situation sure you get the began to outweigh optimism that the whole

whole picture…

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