Opus Award 2024: Prolight + Sound launches Application Phase

Prolight Sound Opus Pandaemonium c SebastianHannak
Picture: Sebastian Hannak

With the upswing of last year's season behind it, the 2023 event industry is shining in new splendor. Many theatres and concert venues took advantage of the Corona pandemic to upgrade their technical equipment and are wowing audiences and critics with even more impressive productions. This year's festival summer and numerous sold-out shows are encouraging evidence of the renewed zest for life. Despite the upswing, however, challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers and rising production costs face the industry with new challenges.

In this time, when creativity and innovation are more in demand than ever, Prolight + Sound is sending a clear signal. With the "Opus - German Stage Award", it will once again honor outstanding productions that have created impressive shows through the innovative use of event technology. The award ceremony will take place at Prolight + Sound 2024 (from 19 to 22 March) in Frankfurt am Main. Both participants and the audience can submit projects until 03 November 2023 at the website below.

The post-pandemic event boom was balm for the industry's soul. Nevertheless, inflation and the politically tense situation in Europe are still putting the brakes on many events. Financially, this hits smaller and medium-sized companies and their events in particular. "Although many large event companies are now generating high profits again, a significant part of our industry is dependent on subsidies. The 'Opus - German Stage Award' sets a shining example for the creative power, innovation, courage and perseverance of all those involved in these challenging times - and pays tribute to those who pull the creative strings behind the stages," emphasizes Mira Wölfel, Director of Prolight + Sound.

The Opus has been honoring exceptional personalities and projects since 2002. The focus is on the technical realization of theatre and musical productions, concerts, tours and corporate events. The award ceremony takes place at Prolight + Sound, the leading trade fair for event, stage and media technology. The honorary award is made possible by the initiative of the VPLT (Association of Media and Event Technology), the EVVC (European Association of Event Centres) and Messe Frankfurt.

An expert jury consisting of association members, representatives of Messe Frankfurt and other industry experts will again select the most outstanding projects from among the submissions.

In 2023, the Pandaemonium at the Staatstheater Kassel received the coveted prize. It wowed the jury with an innovative spatial concept that integrates the audience into the performance. The team led by Florian Lutz, artistic director of Staatstheater Kassel, also successfully explored new forms of use and play in the theatre. The Pandaemonium is thus emblematic of the forward-looking approach to the challenges of the Corona crisis.

www.prolight-sound.com