Summertime Social And Pop Up Cinema In A Pandemic Age

We caught up with Andrew Bunn who has organised and run hundreds of amazing nights and events in Norwich and surrounding areas for many years alongside his partner Danny Banthorpe. But how on earth did they manage to carry on staging huge successful outdoor events during a pandemic?? Let's ask Andrew how they did it..

Firstly congratulations for getting through 2020 and managing to stage such a wide number of events. I am staggered at your enthusiasm and creativity on a number of events!Give us an idea of the range of events you helped put on?

Firstly we put on a series of Covid safe drive-in events at the Norfolk and Suffolk showgrounds when they were first permitted around July. We’ve been operating drive-ins for a number of years at these venues so we were able to work with them to ensure we were fully Covid safe, including working with local licensing teams as this was a new situation for everyone. We then were able to create and produce Summertime Social in partnership with Norfolk Showground. This was 4 weeks of a varied programme of events, operating Thursday to Sunday plus a bank holiday. We presented the first live performances including music, orchestra,DJs, bands and comedy to a really varied audience; Symphonic Ibiza, Judge Jules, Sonique, Bongo’s Bingo, Fabio & Grooverider. Locally we worked with the Brickmakers for Brickfest, Soul Train, Common People, Wildpaths, Basejam and Red Card Comedy Club.

What considerations are there to putting on a Covid safe event?

It was an enormous rethinking of how outdoor events could happen, and working in partnership with the Norfolk Showgrounds senior team, Ideal Events as our lead Production Company, local authority licensing, our security company and some of the artists was vital to making this happen safely. Social Distancing was one of the key considerations and finding a solution to this that didn’t compromise safety or audience experience. We also had to ensure the event site was a safe working site for everyone involved and working within government guidelines which were constantly developing we all worked in partnership to make this happen. The level of flexibility was vital and we were one of only a very few in the country that successfully presented a social distancing event for any audiences with live performance.

Credit: Lee Blanchflower - Blanc Creative

In a very challenging time, your efforts must have been so appreciated by the local artists, event support staff and others you managed to throw a lifeline to?

We created some of the only work for local events staff, logistics and suppliers such as light and sound and local catering companies. Working with artists such as Judge Jules who was one of the first to really look at how live DJ performances could happen safety, as well as Symphonic Ibiza where we have a 12 piece orchestra all socially distanced on the stage was great. We enabled local students from Access Creative College to work on their only live event for that year on a course that would have had a lot of live event and festival experiences. Locally the impact was really appreciated, for example working with the Brickmakers with bands who hadn’t played live at all and enabling Wildpaths to present Wildfields and Common People. I think we worked out we had around 1000 artists across the whole period where this was their first or only live performance that year.

Clearly with all the extra costs of putting on a Covid safe event it must have made the economics of the events challenging? We already know how difficult events can be pre-Covid, let alone with the restrictions.

It was really challenging and without the partnership with the Showground and Ideal Events utilising essential things such as permanent toilets that could be Covid compliant, power, large building for artists changing that was socially distances and of course things like the scale of space for audiences to circulate safety the event wouldn’t have happened. Without Ideal Events’ infrastructure such as the stage, fencing, screens, structures we wouldn’t have been able to cover these kinds of costs.

Credit: Lee Blanchflower -Blanc Creative

How do you see this now we are in 2021?

It’s difficult to tell yet as so many things are hoping to reopen, but things are changing. We have outdoor cinemas planned for Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester and Bury St Edmunds – all continuing with full Covid compliance. We are working with Norwich City Council to present Laugh in the Park with social distancing measures in place alongside exploring live music events later in the year. Hopefully we can look to using inside venues again but let’s see how the summer goes with outdoor events.

Credit: Lee Blanchflower: Blanc Creative

What events do you anticipate putting on this year?

Pop Up Pictures Drive Ins and Eating Street, Laugh in the Park, Norwich, Bury St Edmunds and Colchester Film & Food Festival. We are in conversations for music events but these may take place depending on how the next few months and vaccination programme goes, and are for later in the year.

How do people book tickets for your upcoming events?

Our drive in events are all on Facebook, and most of our events are booked viamusthavetickets.

How has the pandemic changed your personal values?

I think we all have taken this time to appreciate things more, to not take so much for granted including our freedoms, and to value the time you have with family and friends.

What, if any, positives have you found coming out of the pandemic?

The will to find a way forward, new attitudes and working relationships and while cautious, a lot of enthusiasm.

Credit: Lee Blanchflower - Blanc Creative

What do you think you will change as a result of the pandemic experience?

Covid is here for a while, so we will be mindful of this for every event we produce.

Looking forward what are your hopes and expectations?

Other than the obvious about Covid being controlled, but to bring people together, to reconnect live performance to audiences and to revive our industry!

Stay tuned for more interviews with local venues and businesses in the next few weeks on how they're managing during these challenging times!