The second of our guest interviews is with Bruce Wood from GCU’s very own Centre for Creative Industries. The purpose of this interview is to introduce students to the concept of design and creativity in events, allowing them to develop an understanding of its importance and how it may be best managed.
Once you have listened to the interview you should complete the following readings:
Berridge, Graham, (2007) “Understanding design” from Berridge, Graham, Events design and experience pp.81-114, London,: Butterworth Heinemann.
Berridge, Graham, (2007) “Experience design” from Berridge, Graham, Events design and experience pp.159-175, London,: Butterworth Heinemann.
Getz, Donald, (2007) “Event design” from Getz, Donald, Event studies: theory, research and policy for planned events pp.207-234, Oxford,: Butterworth-Heinemann.
October 19th, 2010 at 9:40 am
I found this lecture really interesting as it raised a few topical questions. For example, in light of the ongoing debate around the professionalizing of the events industry (Denise – one for you), how does that fit with it also being part of the cluster of the creative and cultural industries? I wonder if there could be problems or conflicts in being both.
The notion of design also fits in with the experience economy; events have to have an aesthetic and visual wow factor to create the spectacle. Moreover, the highly competitive nature of events requires ‘differentiation’ and design can offer that. On a personal level, design and creativity was integral to biding (my club night) and the press and the audience picked up this aspect. However, most of the design element was done on a shoestring of a budget. For example, for the six month run at the Arches we only had a £200 budget, so we dressed the venue in ivy cut down from the Necropolis in the middle of the night! We also made giant origami flowers; in the b.ding room my decks were on the floor of a low level stage dressed in pink and gold fabric; accompanied by a hippy sitar player and an Icelandic percussionist. This was quite different for the time, as DJ’s normally would be in a booth or a stage raised above the dance floor. It might seem insignificant but a design decision like that can change the whole experience for the performer and the audience. Therefore design can challenge the prescribed and formulaic way in which things (even in club land) are done. In the world of clubs, which are generally run by men lighting design and videos are predominantly used as design features; b.ding opted for a more tactile approach.
Another point I would like to make that as b.ding was peripatetic some venues were more accommodating of our ideas than others but inevitably as a promoter there are always compromises to be made.
On a last note this lecture was really informative if not a little out of date – however, to correct Bruce, King Tuts is owned by DF concerts and the management there are involved in T in the Park.