We’re very busy at the moment with both Staging and Backdrape orders but we’re still finding time to prepare ourselves (just!) for the ABTT Theatre Show 2011.
ABTT has been an important fixture for over 30 years for anyone involved in technical theatre, from manufacturers through to suppliers and end users. This year it takes place on the 15th and 16th of June at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London.
ABTT is one of the liveliest and most rewarding shows in Maltbury’s show calendar. It’s exciting for us to see what new products are being brought out as well as meeting the people who will actually use our products.
All us office-bound folk are attending but the phone and emails will be working as usual – courtesy of our IT whizz Kavita. Philip and I will be on hand to explain the benefits of Maltbury’s modular staging as well as presenting our Backdrape systems. Come see us at stand 111 in the Lawrence Hall.
For info on registering as a visitor and for a list of exhibitors visit the ABTT Theatre Show website.
We’re looking forward to exhibiting at the PLASA show this month. The PLASA show is one of the most important events in the UK for anyone interested in audio, lighting, video and staging.
Some companies use the show to launch or promote new products and as well as exhibiting our Metrodeck and Steeldeck staging systems, Maltbury will be showing off our new Backdrape packages. We’re going to use the show to test a potential new addition to our Backdrape item – an LED light Starcloth. The Starcloth will be controlled using a multi-function remote that’s got Philip, our gadget-mad director, very excited (boys and their toys!).
Joining Philip at the show is our sales manager Kate. Both Kate and Philip will be at the show on Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th April. Come see them at stand RA-C5 as well as a huge variety of other exhibitors this April in Leeds. Take part in the free seminars andtraining workshops as well as the Exhibition show by registering for your free ticket here.
On the 23rd and 24th of February we’ll be attending The Building Schools Exhibition & Conference (BSEC). In the free exhibition Maltbury will be showcasing its modular staging and Backdrape products suitable for schools and colleges.
Quite a bit of work goes into preparing for such an event. Our warehouse has to prepare the best samples to demonstrate our products versatility then we have to figure out the best ways to display our products, and make sure they’re displayed safely. I know our Risk Assessment would have been more fun to fill in if we were having a celebrity chef throwing fire knives around a water feature on a 6m high platform!
As well as us (as if you needed more!) there are architects, consultants, school furniture suppliers, education advisors and ICT suppliers. The exhibition is designed for any school upgrading or planning to upgrade its facilities.
Toby Young
The two day conference takes place at the ExCel centre in London and includes Toby Young as a guest speaker. He will be outlining plans for the West London free school – a non-selective school aiming to achieve academic excellence. I’m curious to know how he’ll be received. An online search provides plenty of resistance and negative comments to the idea and even the supporters of such an idea speculate about its success.
All in all BSEC 2011 looks set to be an exciting show for us (despite the lack of knife jugglers). Follow us on twitter for updates and we’ll see you at stand 823 on the 23rd –24th Feb. To register or for more information about BSEC click here.
I’m noticing a definite air of ‘sticking it to the man’ this week. Having only recently graduated, I am of course a little biased in favour of the student protests in Whitehall.
Students protesting at Whitehall
The hell-raisers from the Golden Age of student protests are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief that Generation ‘Y’ seems to have finally got off its behind to do something proactive about its future.
However, the general public don’t unanimously share this supportive attitude. So whilst one man tweets that he is proud of his daughter for joining the protest, another demands that students who took the day off to protest should be suspended.
But the universal feeling that came across strongest was the disappointment that the press’s focus had been on the violence and mob mentality of the day. It’s frustrating to think of the individuals whose efforts to organise a national, worthwhile demonstration have been belittled because of the sorry few pyromaniacs who enjoy setting street cones alight.
Whatever the attitude to the Whitehall protests though one can’t ignore the public’s growing trepidation of the Government cuts in public spending. The Arts Cuts in particular pose the biggest threat to us as they affect a large percentage of our customer base.
The Arts Council, considered by the BBC’s Arts Editor Will Gompertz as “a big loser” in the cuts, face a 30% budget cut. The Arts Council distributes to numerous theatres, art centres, music venues and galleries nationwide, and a cut in their spending will directly affect the budgets of the venues that rely on them. We have to prepare for the eventuality that our customers won’t have the money they used to. So far our trading figures have remained strong, with a keen interest in our products leading to profitable sales despite cuts in arts funding.
The versatility of our products allows for a wider range of customers; the education sector makes up another large percentage of our client base and we haven’t suffered from a dip in interest from Arts customers either. Fingers crossed then that we keep avoiding what one I.T. student protester had written on his placard:
‘404 ERROR: No Funding Found’
Proscenium Stage
Don’t know your Thrust from your Traverse? Proscenium or in the Round? Theatre has a language all of its own but it’s really rather simple. . .
- Proscenium Stage: The audience sits on one side of the stage only. Perhaps the most straightforward layout (of course the simplest stage would want the fanciest name!).
- Traverse: Similar to a catwalk – the spectators watch from either side of the stage.
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Traverse Stage
In the Round: A layout where the audience surrounds the entire performance.
- Thrust: The performance is watched from three sides of the stage; downstage, stage right and stage left.
Different formations can offer different levels of intimacy with the audience or allow for better audience interaction. Different stage layouts can also affect how contemporary or how traditional a performance comes across. The pictures on the right show classic examples of the types of stage mentioned here. Click to enlarge.
In the Round
Our staging systems can create any one of the above stage layouts. One memorable and rather gamorous example is the Traverse stage we provided for an Alexander McQueen Fashion show!
But whilst some of our customers keep to just the one stage formation, Hemsworth Arts College and Canon Slade School have really taken advantage of the versaltility of our Metrodeck staging systems. Both schools regulary use their decks to create performances in the Round, in Traverse AND in Proscenium.
Thrust
Of all the places to build a theatre, we never thought we’d be working inside an inflatable dome – but then in theatre anything can happen!
The BBC’s popular children’s programme In The Night Garden is on tour around the UK and we have been installing the bespoke staging and tiered seating we made for them. Unusually, the touring show is entirely based inside two huge inflatable white domes – an effective way to recreate the world of In The Night Garden. There will be two different shows running with a number of performances throughout the day. If you can’t quite picture these inflatable domes, have a look at this video of the domes being inflated in Liverpool.
To all new theatre stage managers, drama teachers and theatre technicians!
The secrets of the theatre industry….ok maybe they’re not that big a secret….are theatre trade shows.
As we’ve showcased our theatre stage decks at most of them, we thought you would appreciate an introduction to theatre trade shows (well, the ones we go to at least…)
Association of British Theatre Technicians (ABTT) – June – London
Entry: FREE for pre-registered or £5 on the door
The Association of British Theatre Technicians runs this long established event devoted to promoting technology for theatre and performance. All the main companies supplying this market will be there. This year the show takes place directly after the four-yearly International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference.
Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) – September – London
Entry: FREE
An international event hosting businesses from every aspect of the entertainment and installation industries (with a sister event PLASA Focus in Leeds). A huge event that can sometimes be overwhelming, nevertheless there’s something for everyone in any part of the entertainment industry.
Building Schools Exhibition and Conference (BSEC) – Feb – London
Entry: FREE
This exhibition is designed specifically for schools within the Building Schools for the Future and Primary Capital Programmes. Largely focused on building new schools here you’ll find architects, consultants, education advisors, facility managers, ICT Suppliers, and your regular theatre staging, lighting, school furniture suppliers.
PLASA FOCUS – April – Leeds
Entry: FREE
A more localised event than PLASA London, PLASA Focus prioritises entertainment technologies and installations in the north of England.
Independent Schools Bursars Association (ISBA) – May – various locations
Entry: members only
The clue is in the title: if you are from an independent school check if your bursar is going. At the association’s annual conference there is an extensive exhibition. Here you’ll find everything from swimming pools to accountancy, computers to school uniform, catering to (of course) staging companies like Maltbury.
Eventech Scotland /
Eventech Ireland – dates tbc – Glasgow, Dublin
Entry: FREE
Not to forget the non-London based entertainment industry (often ignored by other trade shows), Eventtech brings together buyers and suppliers of the events industry in Scotland and Ireland. Probably more suited to the general entertainment industry but if it’s in your local area, entrance is free and you get to meet us whilst we’re visiting 