Esch2022
The challenging circumstances of the first Covid-19 lockdown offered Battle Royal Studios the opportunity to develop a novel hybrid format for the Esch2022 REMIX Opening, unique in its scope and interactivity for the traditional opening ceremony of a European Capital of Culture. With a wide range of immersive live entertainment, Battle Royal Studios took the audience to the moon and back.
An opening ceremony of the future
The opening night was created as a complex immersive journey. The audience was invited on a secret mission: By solving puzzles and participating in generating so-called Co-Creation Energy for the region, they were the driving force behind the experience.
The highlight of the evening was the launch of custom augmented reality rockets submitted by more than 800 students from the region as part of a painting contest, with the common goal of remixing the future, Esch2022’s motto.
The evening also included a cross-genre concert, Future Frequencies, directed and developed by Frank Wiedemann and Matthew Herbert. Here, over 100 local musicians came together to perform a colossal mix of styles on stage, accompanied by an enormous light show. Another highlight was a video appearance of the International Space Station (ISS).
Battle Royal Studios produced and staged the event with a focus on audience participation – both online and offline. A show composed over two stages carried the evening, while a playful scavenger hunt structured the visitors’ experience on site.
200 volunteers were involved, immersed in the action and helping to shape it. Online, special participation features such as polls and live interaction tools also turned viewers into contributors.
The city came alive with live music, DJ sets, dance performances, architectural projections, light installations and a wide range of immersive live entertainment. There were approximatly 18,000 visitors welcomed in covid-compliant conditions on-site and 14,000 online.
Battle Royal Studios saw the opening ceremony as an opportunity to bring together people from the local community as participants and creators, strengthening a cultural identity in the long term beyond the cultural year.
The aim was to enable encounters between different groups, generations and cultural influences and thus open up new, sustainable perspectives on the Esch region and Europe as a whole
Credits
- Client
Esch2022
European Capital of Culture 2022
Special thanks to all the incredible volunteers of the Esch2022 Remix Opening. - Creative Concept, Direction & Production
Brendan Shelper
Remix Opening Director
Judith Hoch
Executive Producer
Sarah La Tragna
Producer
Andy Machals
Creative Producer
Ky Lloyd
Production Manager
Jon Buckels
Creative Director
Michael Masberg
Associate Creative Director and Line Director
Basil Hogios
Musical Director and Sound Designer
Chris Moylan
Lighting Design
Xevi Venancio
Art Direction and Graphic Design
Alex Burgos
Line Director
Florian Bücking
Aerial Director and Creative Coordinator
Emily Rose Meyer
Senior Project Manager
Fran Koetter
Production Manager
Shani Moffat
Project Manager
Thao Tran
Creative Producer Digital Engagements
Sabrina Deichert
Artist Producer
Stephane LeBreton
Artist Manager
Alessandro Carta & Alessia Avallone
Project Assistants
Alexandra Mittag
Brand Strategist
Rina Soloveitchik
Editor
Michelle Kastrop
Marketing Assistant - Video & Media Design
Alexandra Weltz-Rombach
Video Producer
Duncan McDade
Lead Motion Designer
Marc Osswald
Art Direction Video and VJ
Alf Ruge
Motion Designer
Achilleas Gatsopoulos
Motion Designer and Editor
Andreas Schindler
AR Artist
Maxin10sity - Les Enfants Terribles — Script & Theatre Direction
Oliver Lansley
Artistic Director
James Seager
Creative Director
Fiona Porritt
Creative Producer & Writer
Anthony Spargo
Writer
Keziah Serreau
Stage Director
Garrett Moore, Thom Mitchell
Immersive Directors
Tanya Dickinson
Production Assistant
Tristan Bruemmer
Translator & Assistant Stage Director
Beth Hoare-Barnes
Company Stage Manager
Sophia Elinor Dalton, Tina Dézart, Amelia Daisy McElhinney and Nicole Jane Richardson
Stage Managers - Future Frequencies Artistic Leads
Frank Wiedemann & Matthew Herbert
Musical Directors
Imogen Knight
Movement Director
Gabriela Flores
Stage Director
Basil Hogios & B Deodato
Musical Associates - Choreography
Denis We
Choreographer
Dolores Dujak, Sebastian Hörman, Ini Hanfmann & Terry Stewart
Choreographer Assistants
Lil Amok
Dance Mentor - Show Calling
Konstanze Agatz
Broadcast Show Caller
Sebastian Maier-Hallard
Stefan Kröger
Jens Bosch - adhoc engineering GmbH —Technical Planning
Malte Joergens, Kalle Reichert
Technical Director
Peter Gombac
Technical Director Video
Tim Schweizer
CAD Masterplanner
Tobias Nievelstein
Technical Director Sound - Health & Safety
Angelo Plate
SATURN production - Technical Production
Steven Jackson
Technical Designer Projection
Alan Cox
Projection Consultant
Bodo Bergmann
Associate Technical Director Sound
Francisco Tauro, Paul Pröhl
Lead disguise Operators
Maxence Bannetel
Assistant disguise Operator
Gerrit Hotzel
Technician
Sean Röller
Technical Assistant - Technical Suppliers
Apex Luxembourg
Production Resource Group AG
Magnum France
Stageco Belgium N.V.
The Powershop BV
LunatX
Emisys
Pixway GmbH - Hinnerup Production — Set Design
Christian Jensen
Lead Designer Props and Decorations
Niels Thorsen, Micala Rode & Rebecca Levy
Props and Decorations
Heidi Trusback
Tailor
Paul Kirkland
Technical Drawings
Niels Bunk Stenger
Light and Sound Technician
Nico Dumitru Bucataru, Morten Schmidt & Calin Conescu
Workshop - Lighting
Matthias Schöffmann
Raphael Demonthy
Daniel Gündner
Sebastian Hüwig - Stage Management
Sissy Moylan
Nadja Zoltek
Jürgen Cappell
Anna Engelkamp - Costume & Make-up
Isabel Seidler
Costume Design
Kira Mathis, Aleksandra Kuchta & Anne Fidler
Costume Supervisors
Linda Mikolaskova
Lead Make-up
Celine Feltgen, Claudia Rinaldis, Isabelle Georg & Luca Demichele
Make-up Artists - Broadcast
Freecaster / Broadcasting Center Europe (BCE)
Franck Villano
TV Director - Documentation
Christian Fussenegger
Videographer - Partners Communications
Rethink
Plan-K Advertising - Special Thanks
Rockhal & Rocklab
Luxembourg Space Agency
European Space Agency - Images
Paul Gärtner, Kooné and Chris Moylan
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