Conference News Supplements London Supplement | Page 14

14
London
Going full circle
UNICEF returned to Central Hall Westminister,
the venue for it’s first event in 1946
Case
Study:
UNICEF
Christmas
Concert
Delegates:
1,000
Venue:
Central Hall
Westminster
bjective
International children’s charity
UNICEF held a Christmas
concert on 1 December to raise funds and
awareness for Syrian children affected by
the war. The event was hosted by radio
and television broadcaster Lauren
Laverne, a committed UNICEF supporter.
Performances were provided by UNICEF
UK Ambassador and singer-songwriter
Jessie Ware; BalletBoyz and two choirs;
Blossom Street Choir and Glade Primary
School Choir.
UNICEF needed a large capacity venue
in central London that was suitable for
festive events, which also shared its core
values; a not-for-profit organisation which
supports those in need. Central Hall
Westminster hosted the first ever meeting
of the United Nations in 1946, from which
UNICEF was formed. Additionally, the early
20th Century venue has been used for
concerts since its earliest days and its
period, festive atmosphere lent itself to
the occasion.
Execution
In order to support the artists performing
at the event, whilE creating an
atmospheric Christmas setting, UNICEF
needed the very best sound and lighting
equipment to blend seamlessly with the
Great Hall’s historic surroundings.
Central Hall’s production partner White
Light drew on their extensive resources as
one of Europe’s leading production
suppliers and combined this with their
intimate knowledge of the venue. For
audio White Light selected D&B
audiotechnik speakers from their newly
acquired hire stock combined with
Yamaha control and Shure microphones.
For the lighting design, White Light’s
in-house team used a mixture of moving
and static lights from Martin, Robe and
ETC to create a festive atmosphere that
complemented the stunning vocal
performances. The state-of-the-art
technical equipment used helped the
audience to truly engage with the music
within the Great Hall’s iconic surroundings.
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Performances from the celebrity cast
included Christmas classics from Jessie
Ware including Away In A Manger and
Silent Night as well as some choral
classics involving audience participation
and readings from UNICEF UK
Ambassador, Eddie Izzard and UNICEF UK
high profile supporter, Cel Spellman.
Testimonial
The concert was a success with £25,000
being raised for UNICEF alongside general
awareness raising of the plight of children
in Syria.
Kerry Wooding, Special Events Manager,
UNICEF UK, said: “When the first-ever
meeting was held at Central Hall by the
UN in 1946, UNICEF was created to
provide emergency help for the 30m
children in Europe in urgent need of aid at
the end of World War II. This mission
continues today by raising vital funds for
children in Syria whose childhoods have
been shaped and devastated by eight
years of war.”