Archive for the
‘Education’ Category

Recently, Neg Earth Lights joined Be Wilder Education, which provides forest school education in West London for a fun & educational outdoor activity. Nestled in the heart of Vale Lane, West London, the Forest School provider supports the children on site at Holy Family Catholic school, West London.

A group of enthusiastic Year 5 pupils carried out a biodiversity study the forest that helped their understanding of the ecosystem but also provided a connection to nature.

Over the course of the academic year, each class at the school is allocated six sessions, each lasting two hours, allowing them to explore the great outdoors on a regular basis. This initiative has proven to be a transformative experience for the 450 children who use and have access to this on-site forest.

The pupils learned about different species of plants, insects, and animals, equipping them with the tools needed for their biodiversity study. Armed with clipboards and magnifying glasses, the children set off to observe and document their findings, creating a sense of curiosity and wonder about the natural world whilst understanding their role in safeguarding the planet.

The Benefits of Nature Connection

Be Wilder Education Emma Woods believes that regular interaction with nature has profound benefits for children’s physical and mental health. Engaging in physical activities outdoors helps develop motor skills, builds strength, and contributes to overall fitness—all essential for healthy childhood development.

Access to outdoor spaces like the Forest School is vital, especially in urban areas where green spaces can be limited. The initiative ensures that children from diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to engage with nature, promoting inclusivity and equity in outdoor education. It provides a safe and nurturing environment where they can explore, learn, and grow, helping to bridge the gap between urban life and the natural world.

Neg Earth was delighted to be part of the forest school activity and continues to support its partner with materials for the London forest school locations.

These include, wood, barrels, climbing rope and other upcycled materials.

“Thank you so much for the support and the abundance of resources, it really helps to enrich the provision. At the beginning of the year we made templates for bird boxes with wood off cuts that were donated, children built and painted the boxes and we installed them around the school forest. At the moment we have a pair of blue tits nesting in the box closest to our Basecamp and it is bringing so much joy to the children watching the busy pair darting in and out with materials for their nest.”

Emma Woods
Be Wilder Education

“We are so grateful to our friends at Neg Earth Lights who continue to support our wonderful Forest School by supplying materials that enhance the experiences and opportunities that we can offer our children. We feel very fortunate to benefit from a partnership with a company who seek to support a local school. Thank you Neg Earth!”

Mr Doherty
Headteacher, Holy Family Catholic Primary School

To celebrate world mental health day the Neg earth Lights team took part in a 3-day mental health focus. Day 1 started with a group yoga session with thirty-six people meeting in the Neg rehearsal studio to stretch and focus on breathing exercises!  Next up, the team were treated to a back and neck massage, as we finished off the week with Pizza Friday, which gave people chance to chat with their colleagues. 

This day, each October, thousands of supporters come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on people’s lives worldwide. 

With @Music Support, we offer our team mental health training to promote a culture where mental health is supported and openly discussed here at Neg Earth.  

Our commitment to fostering good health and wellbeing is at the forefront of our mission.  

HOME – Music Support 

 

Neg Earth attended the Mount Carmel Primary School in Ealing careers afternoon this month, where we talked to over one hundred children about opportunities in the live event industry. 

We had fun sharing the behind-the-scenes magic with the young, eager students, and they were keen to learn more!  

The forward-thinking primary school focus on educating the children on the different jobs that are available, and over thirty different business across many different industries and professions joined the careers afternoon. 

Deputy Headteacher Siobhan Ponter said.  

Thank you so much for coming to our careers fair! The children loved it, and you made your talk so child-friendly! We really do appreciate you both giving up your time to educate the children.  

Neg Earth are committed to nurturing the next generation of talent.

In collaboration with Women in Live Music (WILM), we were thrilled to have held our first beginner’s workshop to educate and offer advice to women who are striving to enter the world of lighting.  

At Neg Earth Lights we are passionate about taking action to make a positive change, and whilst Neg have made a conscious effort over many years to introduce more women into the workplace and bridge the gap of gender inequality, the sad reality remains that far less women are working within the live events industry than men. 

Roles such as Lighting Technicians, Power Technicians and Riggers are held predominantly by men, and with shocking statistics from Zippia showing that only 13.4% of Light Technicians are women. Here at Neg we want to change this.  

Moreover, Neg Earth Lights is a family-run business and was founded by Dave and Pip Ridgway. With an inspiring female figure as one of the Managing Directors, Pip is passionate about the company helping to make a difference and encourage more women into the live events industry. In the panel discussion, Neg Project Manager Lindsey Markham, told the guests, ‘For me, in this industry I’ve always felt that I couldn’t find the routes in. Now, I think we are getting better at finding these routes in for people and I really think this forum is amazing,’ showing how passionate the Neg team are for offering these opportunities, inspired by their own first-hand experiences. 

In honour of International Women’s Day on the 8th of March 2023, Neg Earth Lights collaborated with the incredible team at Women in Live Music, offering exclusive workshops at our in-house studio, LH3. The event was a packed day of learning, networking, and lots of fun! A special mention to the women at WILM, including Olive Olin and Malle Kaas for assisting with the workshop, and Neg’s Marketing Manager, Tanya Kanani, who had carefully planned and hosted the event. 

The response to the event was incredible with tickets selling out within the first hour of release! Additionally, there were over 30 people signed up to the waiting list for the event, showing its popularity amongst women aspiring to enter the live events industry, highlighting the current demand for career guidance and support within this industry.  

The workshops were split into the specialities of lighting, rigging and power, with the guests alternating between sessions. The lighting workshop was led by Neg’s Technical Solutions Manager Joao Magalhaes and Lighting Designer Subul Lodi. The workshop explored the 4 key stages in the live event lighting process; Design, Preparation, Delivery and Practical. The guests not only gained theory-based knowledge in the sessions, but also gained hands-on experience operating the impressive GrandMA console. The rigging workshop was set up by Neg’s in-house Motors and Rigging Manager Rick Williamson, and the workshop was run by WILM member and rigger Ida Maria Borgstrom. This workshop involved teaching the guests to float a pre-built truss grid, showing them how to build and install baskets onto the grid and land the grid. This interactive approach to the workshop was a fantastic way for the guests to learn through practical application. The third was a Power workshop, set up by Carl Garner, Neg’s Electrical Specialist, and Maintenance Technician Bernice Roust and led by Bernice herself. In the workshop, Bernice educated the guests on Power Theory, as well as incorporating a hands-on practical application to her workshop. 

Following these sessions was the panel Q+A, where the all-female panel discussed barriers within the live events industry and how to overcome them. The panel featured the Production Manager Alice James, Neg Project Manager Lindsey Markham, Lighting Designer Subul Lodi, Rigger Ida Maria and Ambersphere Key Account Manager Briony Berning. The audience had a chance to ask questions at the end, which explored how to confidently enter the industry, choose a specific area in the live events sector, and connect with professionals.  

On this amazing day, jointly sponsored by Neg and Ambersphere, to ensure this opportunity was accessible regardless of individual circumstances, the group had networking drinks, where the guests, female panel, and workshop leaders had the chance to socialise and make new connections.  To put an end to the day the guests left armed with swag from both Ayrton and Neg and a sense that with us, everything is possible. 

An inspiring message taken from Lindsey Markham during the panel discussion was; ‘‘If you think you can do it and no one’s giving it to you, go and get it, go and ask for it… go and execute it well. 

Keep an eye out for our future initiatives where you can learn to be a part of the incredible and diverse lighting community! 

 

 

In collaboration with: Women in Live Music 

Networking drinks supplied by: Ambersphere 

Event Planner: Tanya Kanani 

 

 

It’s Global Recycling Day and the Neg Team are keen to work towards sustainability and do our bit for the environment wherever possible. After all, where would Neg be without the Earth?! 

With that in mind, our team would like to share some quick and easy tips to encourage us all to reduce, reuse and recycle more at work and at home.  

 

That’s a wrap! We’re all in this togetherhappy reducing, reusing and recycling! 

The Son et Luminère production provides a platform for third year lighting students of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to showcase their talents in lighting design every year.
Neg Earth Lights supplied an array of equipment free of charge for the production and welcomed RADA students to the warehouse. Neg Earth’s skilled technicians were on-hand during pre-production supporting the students preparing the abundance of equipment for the production including, Clay Paky Sharpys, Martin Mac Aura XB and GLP JDC-1s providing insight into the level of detail our teams go into for prep, we believe this level of support provides valuable industry experience for young industry professionals in the making.

Lighting Designers / Programmers: Sam Blakemore, Sammy Emmins and Alex Forey
Lighting Supplier: NEG Earth Lights
Production Electrician: Sam Blakemore
Assistant Production Electrician: Sam Marshall
Technical Manager: Rosa Watson
Head of Sound: Wilkie Morrison
Hog4 Training provided by: Dan Hardiman and ETC

Photo Credit: Alex Forey, Sam Blakemore and RADA

Neg Earth Lights
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