October 18, 9am – 5pm: Load-In
Load-In will use the process of bringing a production into the theatre to explore rigging, lighting, audio, staging, carpentry, material handling, working at height, hazard recognition, and communication between departments.

Load-in also creates an opportunity for technicians to learn outside their own specialties. Participants may get a closer look at why rigging needs certain information from lighting, how audio infrastructure affects other departments, why carpentry and scenic decisions can change access or workflow, and how stage management and production management coordinate all of those moving parts. The goal is not to make every technician an expert in every discipline. It is to give people a better understanding of the departments working around them so they can anticipate conflicts, ask better questions, and communicate more effectively.

For performers, the day also provides context they do not always get to see. Participants can learn what happens in the theatre before rehearsal begins, why certain areas are restricted, why technical work may stop when someone enters a work zone, and what is actually happening around and above the stage before a performer ever steps into the space.

Participants may register for individual days or the full three-day event.

Registration and additional event information: https://delong.ludus.com/show_page.php?show_id=200534364

Safety Cabaret is a hands-on, interactive training event designed for people throughout the live entertainment industry. Rather than separating performers, technicians, stage managers, and safety professionals into different classrooms, the program uses the real process of loading in, rehearsing, and loading out a production as the learning environment. A major focus of the event is cross-department education. Rigging, lighting, audio, carpentry, stage management, and other production departments are often highly specialized, but they depend on one another constantly. Safety Cabaret gives technicians the opportunity to learn more about what the other departments do, why they do it, what information they need, and how one department’s decisions can affect everyone else in the room.

In keeping with the event’s goal of making high-quality professional development as accessible as possible, Safety Cabaret will operate on a pay-what-you-want registration model. Participants can choose an amount that works for them, helping reduce financial barriers while still supporting the cost of producing the event. The goal of Safety Cabaret is simple: help the people who work onstage and backstage better understand one another’s jobs, communicate more effectively, and build safer productions together.

The three-day program follows the natural progression of a production.

The DeLong Foundation is a Bloomington-based nonprofit organization focused on providing affordable, high-quality training for technicians working throughout the live entertainment industry.
Backstage PASS develops performing arts safety and support programs focused on practical education, communication, and creating healthier production environments.
Risky Business Resources brings expertise in occupational safety, risk management, organizational culture, and the systems used to identify and manage hazards in the workplace.