October 20, 9am – 5pm: Load-Out
Load-Out will examine the production process in reverse. Participants will see how quickly a theatre changes when equipment begins coming down, scenery starts moving, cables are removed, rigging systems are operating, and areas that were safe during a performance become active work zones. Load-out also provides another opportunity for departments to better understand one another’s priorities. The sequence in which equipment comes down matters. Access needed by one department may affect the work of another. Schedule pressure and fatigue can make communication even more important. Participants will be able to see how planning, coordination, and mutual understanding can make load-out both safer and more efficient.

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.