PLASA London Reveals Lighting and Staging Education Sessions

As PLASA London 2014 fast approaches, the show's organizer has released details of its education offer at this year's event. The PLASA Professional Development Program is renowned as a platform for sharing ideas and showcasing industry expertise. This year, the Professional Development Program will occupy two spaces at ExCeL London -- the Audio and AV Theatre and the Lighting and Stage Theatre.

The Professional Development Program made its debut in 2010. Since then over 300 speakers have taken part in its panels, which have welcomed thousands of attendees. The program's aim is to test theory, inspire debate, and positively impact the different strands of the entertainment technology industry.

The Lighting and Stage Theatre is preparing to welcome a wide range of expertise and talent, from companies like Martin Professional, Theatre Projects, Marshmallow Laser Feast, IQ Magazine, The Backstage Center, and Avolites Media, and from organizations including ABTT and the Association of Lighting Designers.

Lighting manufacturer, Martin Professional, is supporting the Lighting and Stage Theatre as its sponsor. Drawing from its network of industry experts, it will deliver three sessions during the program.

The theatre will host Marshmallow Laser Feast, who will present recent work and talk about its innovative approach to creative briefs. Standout projects to be discussed include software design for U2's Invisible video, motion tracking, and real-time visuals for dance performance The Measures Taken and recent work for the Oculus Rift. Founded in 2011, Marshmallow Laser Feast's aim is to create emotional and engaging artworks by adding a human touch to the mechanical world of technology.

Theatre Projects' founder Richard Pilbrow will lead a panel of lighting specialists through "Rediscovering Lighting Control - Past, Present, and Future." Neil Austin, Robert Bell, Rob Halliday, and Jim Laws will accompany Pilbrow as they introduce The Backstage Heritage Collection -- a group that represents passionate theatre technical people, who believe a record of lighting technologies should be kept and artifacts preserved as references for future developments.

The Backstage Center will use its session to launch a new initiative called Insights. Each month, it will interview influential people from the live production industry, providing students with regular insights in to the different careers available to them. The series will kick off at PLASA London 2014 with lighting designer Jason Larcombe from White Light Ltd.

"The Roundabout Theatre - The Art of Collaboration" session will see a panel discussion about the development of Paines Plough Roundabout Theatre -- a pop-up portable theatre, which debuted at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Roundabout, which was designed by Lucy Osborne and Emma Chapman in collaboration with Charcoalblue and Howard Eaton, is a completely self-contained 168-seat auditorium that flat packs into a single truck. The project encapsulates what can be achieved by combining creative vision and successful collaboration.

IQ Magazine's Gordon Masson and Live Nation's head of operations John Probyn, will discuss "The Evolution of Festival Operations," reflecting on some of the challenges, solutions, and funny anecdotes from the colorful history of outdoor festivals. A company that has enjoyed many festival successes, Avolites Media, will investigate the "Convergence of Video and Lighting" -- a trend that is prevalent across a variety of sectors, including television, theatre, concerts, and live events.

The Association of Lighting Designers will present "Environmental Issues in Live Performance Lighting" -- a discussion about how the industry can have a smaller environmental impact, covering everything from manufacturing to usage to disposal. While ABTT will provide an overview of the observation, access, maintenance, and management of plaster ceilings and structures in places of entertainment, referring to the work being carried out at the Apollo Theatre, following an incident there in December 2013.

All of the Professional Development Program sessions are free to attend for PLASA London 2014 badge holders but additional registration is required. To view the full program and to register for the seminars, visit www.plasashow.com/programme. More sessions will be announced shortly.

The Professional Development Program partners a show floor packed with professional lighting and staging companies. Exhibitors include Robe, Clay Paky, MA Lighting, Robert Juliat, SGM, GLP, Chauvet, Prolyte, Lift Turn Move, Milos, Allstage, Fenix, and Kinesys.

PLASA London takes place from October 5 - 8, 2014 at ExCeL London. The show, which attracts the biggest names in professional lighting, audio, video, and stage technologies, has been a pivotal date in the international entertainment technology trade show calendar for nearly four decades. To register for a show pass, which provides access to the full Professional Development Program, visit www.plasashow.com.