The recent edition of the annual Henley Festival in London saw sound provider RG Jones celebrating four decades of collaboration with the festival and meeting the unique audio challenges of the event’s Floating Stage with support from Martin Audio MLA Compact loudspeakers and supporting components to optimize sonic quality while minimizing offsite noise.
The festival showcased a lineup featuring Rag’n’Bone Man, Westlife, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Ministry of Sound Classical, and more. RG Jones also provided sound reinforcement for various support and specialist club stages using Martin Audio’s CDD Live, TORUS, and Wavefront Precision systems, with more than 140 products deployed throughout the site. However, this year introduced a new addition to the lineup—the Rise Stage.
In honor of the festival’s 40th anniversary, the Rise initiative was launched and as the festival enters its 41st year, the Rise Stage was introduced to support the next generation of performers and technicians in the creative arts industry. The stage offers paid opportunities for young musicians, comedians and visual artists while also providing work experience with leading lighting and sound companies, as well as in marketing and PR, for aspiring backstage staff.
Simon Honywill of RG Jones states, “Henley Festival’s close collaboration with the Rise charity is truly remarkable. When the introduction of the Rise Stage was being discussed, I wholeheartedly supported the initiative and offered to extend the partnership by inviting two LIPA students to run the stage throughout the festival. It’s wonderful to provide these talented students with invaluable on-site experience.”
