Member Article

Stone's Throw Media step up to livestream Birmingham Royal Ballet

The UK’s leading touring ballet company Birmingham Royal Ballet has enlisted the help of livestreaming agency Stone’s Throw Media to step up its digital events output.

Working together for the first time, Wolverhampton-based Stone’s Throw Media recorded pre-performance talks and panel discussions featuring Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Carlos Acosta for the We Are West Midlands panel event, part of the annual Birmingham International Dance Festival (BIDF).

With Covid restrictions limiting this year’s festival to digital channels, the free-to-view event invited representatives from across the dance sector in the West Midlands to participate in a conversation about diversity in the industry with the aim of addressing issues, overcoming challenges and working out solutions to bring positive change in the region.

The event, facilitated by Birmingham Royal Ballet with Kauma Arts, was broadcast on June 7 as part of BIDF’s Industry Professionals Programme.

Proudly part of the region’s creative network, Stone’s Throw Media were enlisted to record segments to be used in the livestream. The pre-recorded sections were filmed at Birmingham Hippodrome using a three-camera set-up.

Born in Cuba, Carlos Acosta is one of the most acclaimed dancers in the world. After winning a succession of awards, including the Prix de Lausanne in 1990, Carlos went on to dance professionally with the world’s most prestigious companies, including the Royal Ballet. Awarded a CBE in 2014, he became Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet in January 2020.

Stone’s Throw Media’s Mike Chinn said the team were honoured to be asked to be part of this year’s Birmingham International Dance Festival, the seventh to be held. He said: “We were pleased to be able to support Birmingham Royal Ballet in delivering such a prestigious event to an engaged digital audience.

“We are proud to work within the West Midlands creative sector so it was rewarding to be involved in celebrations of the work by dance companies in the region, with none more renowned than Birmingham Royal Ballet. Stone’s Throw Media is keen to see our region’s leading creative forces succeed, especially as they recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on live performance.”

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Digital Creative Producer Tom Rogers said: “BIDF is one of the highlights of our calendar and something the Company always looks forward to. The pandemic may have limited us this year but it was fantastic to be able to deliver a live streamed event, thanks to the technical support and expertise of Stone’s Throw Media.”

The collaboration with Birmingham Royal Ballet comes after Stone’s Throw Media was named finalist for a prestigious events award. Mike Chinn, founder and director, is on the final shortlist for Online Event Producer of the Year at the CN Agency Awards, organised by leading events industry title Conference News and to be announced on July 22.

Mike and the Stone’s Throw team were recognised for their achievements in staging prominent online events during the Covid-19 pandemic including the digital opening ceremony of the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Brewery learning centre and the university’s 2020 staff awards.

Mike and co-founder Matt Weston are finalists in the young leader and professional services categories at the West Midlands Leadership Awards, organised by regional news website Business Desk and to be announced in September.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this October, Stone’s Throw employs eight staff and is based on Wolverhampton Science Park. Its clients include Redrow, Wolves, JLR and university accommodation provider Student Roost.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chris Leggett .