MAY | TECH
Full screen ahead
t started with a trickle, and
then it became a flood. As the
world has gradually gotten
acquainted with being locked
down and homebound, we have seen
a proliferation of livestreamed gigs,
performances and everything in
between.
During Global Citizen’s One World:
Together At Home concert, held on 18
April, £100m was raised for healthcare
workers by a variety of celebrities and
artists. It also afforded an unusual
glimpse into the homes of the
performers - John Legend sat rather
tactically in front of a shelf containing
not one but four Grammys, while Sir
Elton John played the piano in his back
garden.
This strange state of affairs is
quickly becoming the new abnormal
under Covid-19 quarantine. The world
is receiving a crash course in video
calling, live streaming and home
working. Could it have a permanent
impact upon the events industry, or
will it be a soon-forgotten blip once we
return to meeting face-to-face?
Perhaps the biggest and most
bewildering news so far was the
announcement that Burning Man
would be going digital in 2020. The
eccentric arts festival usually sees
thousands of ‘Burners’ descending on
“The world is receiving
a crash course in video
calling, live streaming
and home working.”
30
Lockdown has led to a huge increase in livestreamed gigs, and even
some virtual festivals. Could digital events become the new normal?
the Nevada desert in August. This year,
it is leaning into its ‘multiverse’ theme
as the event’s organisers construct a
virtual version of Black Rock City
– one which will make all manner
of art, workshops and bohemian
strangeness accessible from viewers’
living rooms.
Speaking about the move to digital,
Burning Man Project CEO Marian
Goodell commented:
“Burning Man is a movement. We’re
not defined by one aspect of Burning
Man – we are defined by what we bring
to it. Burning Man is 100 community
events around the world, on six
continents. We look forward to inviting
you to virtual Black Rock City. Black
Rock City 2020 is in the multiverse –
that is the theme, after all.”
The move might seem a surprising
one, but it is less so when you consider
that Burning Man is a festival which
owes a huge creative debt to its
community. Those who attend Burning
Man are all encouraged, and in some
cases required, to contribute to it.