Every year, we look at the way the festival operates and think about what we can do to become more sustainable”
TECHNOLOGY FOR A PURPOSE While the decades since the live industry began to mature in the mid-seventies have often revealed blanket-style adoption to emerging technologies, it’s apparent that the industry needs to make a decisive break and foster a more individual, production- and artist-led ethos that uses new video and audio solutions in a more targeted way. “‘Are we using this technology for a purpose? Is it part of the story we are telling, or of the artists themselves?’” quotes Pembroke, explaining the sort of questions that might be asked at the start of the planning process. “‘Is this something we could use less?’ You might not need all that lighting and pyro all the time. Thinking about what you want to achieve, and what you need to achieve it, can be beneficial.” Ultimately, the more artists, promoters and production companies who scrutinise their relationship to technology and its impact on energy consumption, the sooner the tipping point will arrive. “Industry leaders need to say enough is enough,” states Pembroke. They need to convey the message that it is possible to secure brilliant results by “looking at analogue sets and thinking about sustainable building and staging. Because there are plenty of ways to create great live experiences without involving a huge footprint.”
energy-intensive, ‘more intimate’ performance spaces. Pembroke’s design background has proven invaluable as the festival has focused on “employing sustainable materials for all of our builds, as well as bringing in vendors and food trucks that are focused on recycled materials. “Every year, we look at how the festival operates and think about what we can do to become more sustainable,” he adds. “It’s also a very community culture type of festival, so we are showcasing local DJs, not bringing in artists from overseas and significantly increasing our carbon footprints from the plane travel.” Implicit in the direction pursued by Charivari Detroit is the hope that other events might adopt a similar ethos, although Pembroke acknowledges that – for now at least – it’s a decidedly variable picture out there. At the moment, for certain parts of the industry, ‘sustainability doesn’t seem to be a priority’ – an observation underlined by a global trend towards increasingly elaborate arena shows with huge power requirements. “We don’t have any of those huge LED walls [at our event], so that is an impact on the fan experience. Our analysis concludes that, if you’re serious about being more energy-conscious and sustainable, then you can’t keep bringing in more and more lighting and visual elements,” notes Pembroke.
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