Creative
TOP NINE TIPS FOR CREATIVE EVENTS IN 2011:
(1) Play Games: The trend for games and interaction was really strong in 2010, definitely one to get on, a great example being the boys from fire hazard building a lazer maze (just like the film entrapment) at our very own Future Gallery! Guests crawled, rolled and jumped through high tech lazer beams to steal paintings, keeping any they managed to escape with. For me, creating movie moments was another key creative stroke for next year, question is, which movie would you like to be in?
(2) Allow Anarchy: Anther trend is the conscious counter-culture against health and safety blandness, never better evidenced than by the delirious, insane (and sadly now defunct) Scrap Club. This was without doubt the most anarchic event ever hosted in London. In a nutshell? A warehouse, a room of old televisions, and a sledgehammer. You do the math(s), utterly unbelivaballs. (www.scrapclub.co.uk/)
(3) Learn Stuff: Following years of wide-eyed techno nights, last year proved the start of a terrific trend towards events which EXPAND your brain rather than destroy it (As nicely evidenced by the “think” section on the excellent Run Riot website). So get your clever noggins round to science club at the Book Club (www.super-collider.com/) and learn something new about space and the universe.
(4) Defy Conventions: As always festivals were a hot-bed of creativity in 2010. Out of all the 100’s of toilets on Secret Garden’s festival site one had the back cut out, and behind it lay a secret stage that partied all night! Only those that used this cubicle made it there, and this brilliant ‘spin on conventions’ trend is one we’d love to see more of in 2011 (uk.secretgardenparty.com)
(5) Enjoy Restrictions: Festivals once again played a vital role in creative frontiers with Bestival’s wishing tree. Genuinely stunning look and feel (who made that thing?!) and fantastic attention to detail. Tree too small to fit a bar in it? Simply make it smaller, serve minatures, and have it staffed by midgets. Genius. (www.bestival.net)
(6) Make a Point: Ridiculously innovative Credit Crunch night costing only £10 anyone? This £10 got you ‘credit’ on a fictional stock market which ran all evening. Not only could guests play this as a game, a trend mentioned above, but it also determined the price of drinks at the bar! Crash and boom, peak and trough, this was interactivity at its most cerebral (www.groundfloorleft.co.uk)
(7) Do Total Interaction: Bum Bum Train from Brighton showed why events shouldn’t just be a BIT interactive but COMPLETELY interactive, after this lot there’s literally no point in going in half hearted! This could, frankly, be the best event ever. In a dreamlike state you wondered from coaching an american football team, to crowd surfing, to riding on a sushi conveyer belt. Think I’m talking nonsense? Fly over to the website to see what I’m so excited about (www.bumbumtrain.co.uk)
(8) Be Seasonal: Can you really put two of your own events in the top ten?? You bet we can …. Especially when they are this fun. Four giant xmas food fights in the spotless art gallery… custard, potato and spouts flying in all directions. Visit www.theoldmilkfloat.co.uk for all the videos, and to learn a bit about introducing (just the right amount of) anarchy into your events, something that’s bound to catch on in 2011.
(9) Make it Funny: The final lesson here? Wow your audience yes, dazzle them yes, but do it with humour please! The Trash City Circus (originally from Glastonbury) was a roaring, disgusting, decadent tour de force. It showed that sets and lighting and acrobatics are great, and had all the elements we’ve described above, but at the end of the day it was the laughs that made the night amazing. And what made me tell all my friends. (www.myspace.com/trashcityltd)
So there you have it. Be interactive, be funny, be playful. Tickle people’s minds, expectations and conscious. If nothing else just leave them laughing and you’ve done a good job. They’ll tell people about your event, and that’s all you can ever hope for. Good luck for a creative 2011!
(Written by John Burtt, White Label)
