The second edition of the Yungblud-curated Bludfest took place this year at Milton Keynes Bowl. With an emphasis on inclusivity and diversity both on and off the stage, the occasion proved to be another great success. Once again, Production Futures was invited to the event and enjoyed engaging with more than a thousand young people interested to find out more about potential roles in the production industries. True to the organisation’s ethos, and keen to showcase the talents of the next generation, the Production Futures brand activation area was designed, constructed, and run, by two students from the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, part of Nottingham Trent University.
Abigail Skelton and Ant Ioannou are both in their second year at Confetti, and having first crossed paths with Hannah Eakins of Production Futures at an ON TOUR event, subsequently met Vics Spurgin from leading lighting and video rental and production house, Siyan, at the Showlight event. With Siyan providing all the lighting and video for the main stage at Bludfest, Vics and Hannah combined their resources to provide the two students with a unique opportunity, entrusting them with a whole new level of responsibility. Having had access to Siyan’s extensive inventory, Abigail and Ant then met Hannah and Vics at ABTT to present their plans, which were enthusiastically approved.
Eakins reflected on a successful project: “This was very much a case of having full confidence in Abi and Ant, and allowing them to show their skills in a pressured professional environment. We’re hugely grateful to Vic and Siyan for their help and commitment – the industry needs forward-looking people like them to reinforce the importance of providing opportunity for new talent. Every aspect of Abi and Ant’s work in creating and curating our brand activation area was of an impeccable standard, and was a great endorsement of our drive to open up career opportunities in the sector. We are also delighted that they both unhesitatingly accepted our invitation to become Production Futures Student Ambassadors.”
“Massive thanks are due to Production Futures and Siyan for giving us this opportunity. It was such a powerful platform to help inspire the next generation of professionals. We’re incredibly grateful for being trusted to be fully hands-on from start to finish. We were involved in every step, from designing the space and prepping equipment, to setting up, programming, running the stage, and loading out. The experience of working with such incredibly welcoming people grew our confidence, knowledge and network,” Skelton reflected. “It was inspiring to speak to such a wide cross section visitors, and really illustrated how meaningful this kind of outreach can be. As a student that didn’t know this path existed just three years ago, it was so rewarding to be given the opportunity and be seen as a potential role model for young creative people. The whole experience felt like a real privilege.”
“This was truly a once-in-lifetime experience for us as students. From sketching out ideas at home and then presenting them to technical directors, to pulling equipment from Siyan’s warehouse and building the stage onsite at the festival, we gained great insight into the full production process. It was an amazing opportunity, not only to learn, but also to share the journey with everyone who visited,” Ioannou commented. “To any students currently studying and looking to break into the industry, my message is simple – be ambitious, stay curious – the opportunities are there if you chase them. The support we received from Production Futures and Siyan has been truly inspiring, and they’ve set the bar high in supporting the next generation of live event professionals.”
Vics Spurgin, Business Development Manager at Siyan, added: “We gave Abi and Ant the space, the kit, and the freedom to come up with whatever design they wanted. The only stipulation was that whatever they designed, they had to be able to build. And wow, what a job they’ve done! We couldn’t be prouder of what they both accomplished. They dived headfirst in to this opportunity showing incredible levels of enthusiasm, hard work, talent, confidence, and ambition. To be at this level as students, I’m excited to see where they’ll be in a few years time once they’ve graduated and are working! We’re very much looking forward to being a part of their journey, and very grateful to Production Futures for giving Siyan this opportunity to get involved. Siyan have been working hard to engage with students on lighting design courses, and this has proved to be the perfect opportunity to offer them work experience.”
