FESTIVAL FOCUS
BARCLAYCARD PRESENTS BRITISH SUMMER TIME Certainly one of the more sophisticated events on our schedule this year, TPi headed to Hyde Park for British Summer Time to meet the crew behind the annual event – all to the smooth stylings of Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder. TPi reports…
Following a weekend traipsing around the arid festival lands of Glastonbury 2019, Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time (BST) was a welcome reprieve for the TPi team. As has become something of an annual tradition, we joined some of the crew and suppliers for a mid-summer catch up. Heading backstage of the iconic tree-clad main stage, TPi caught-up with Production Director Mark Ward. Founder of Proper Productions, Ward and his team – consisting of Tyler Cole-Holmes and Harry Ford – have been involved in BST for the past seven years. From the comfort of his office, he walked us through his history with the event. “I was originally brought in by Dan Craig and Jim King from LoudSound,” recalled Ward. “We already knew each other from a number of shows and worked really well together. They also knew I had a bit of history with
site, having run Party in the Park for a number of years.” Having steered the production for many years, Ward has remained loyal to a selection of suppliers, including Video Design, PRG, Capital Sound, Stage Miracles, Production House, John Henry’s, Star Hire and Eat to the Beat. The PM explained how this continued deployment of the same key suppliers all came down to the world-class crew behind each company involved. “Nobody gets carried,” he commented. “We have an amazing crew and I think it’s testament to the people we brought in from day one, that there hasn’t been a change in supplier for the past seven years.” Ward and the BST crew have overseen some ambitious productions over the years. His secret, he claims, is surrounding himself with world-class pros. “When it comes to the visual teams, both PRG and Video Design give us the ability to say ‘yes’ to most incoming productions,” he commented. 74
