We are in the process of making The Sup’ more accessible, which includes making changes to stage lighting and visuals. Thank you to everyone who has written to me about the use of strobe lighting effects.
With the advent of LED lighting, strobing changed from being a specific type of light to a lighting effect, with many light fixtures (and even screens) capable of generating flashing and flickering effects.
For many, exposure to these effects can be uncomfortable or debilitating. For some, they can pose serious health and safety risks.
After consultation and consideration, we have taken steps to reduce the potentially harmful use of these effects in The Sup’. There is still more work to be done, but changes made prior to Golden Plains 2023 included:
- Redesign of the stage lighting rig, including the removal of all lights primarily designed for generating strobing effects
- New guidelines in place for lighting operators when using flashing and flickering effects
- Lighting control buttons redesigned to limit brightness, flash rate, fade time and duration
Taken together, these steps have reduced what is commonly understood to be strobe lighting as a stage effect. There will still be rapidly changing and/or flashing lighting effects at times, albeit at a brightness, duration and rate that reduces the health and safety risks.
For each festival, there will be a separate warning for any higher intensity sets with pre-programmed lighting and video content that may have a strobe-like effect. These warnings will be published on this page prior to the festival weekend, as well via digital signage displayed on the stage LEDs prior to the performance time.
This and other access improvements remain a work in progress, and something that we will be monitoring closely, with the help of experts, at all festivals. You can view the current information relating to Accessibility here.
Please write to me with any feedback or questions you have, either now or after you next visit the Supernatural Amphitheatre.
My door is always open.
