Dark Time

[richard_cooper]

I'm currently embroiled in a battle at work over how much time is set aside as dark time for maintenance, cleaning, upgrading etc. I'm interested what other venues do in terms of scheduling in dark time for these activities. I'm pushing for more, but some colleagues are pushing to remove the time I already have.

 

So, what time does your venue schedule in as dark time. Is there an annual period? How long? Any input gratefully received.

 

Thanks

 

Richard

[Ynot]

Our (amateur, run by volunteers) venue has closed for the whole of August for performances over the past 3 or 4 years.

And at the moment we DEFINITELY need the break!!

Haven't had a free weekend that didn't have a perf or a fitup/strike since the start of April and won't be one til after July!

[rooftop]

I guess it depends how the venue is funded - going dark effectively costs us around £6k per week as there is no revenue coming in but we are still paying wages, electric, rates, etc.

 

We've never previously gone dark, but this year we are going dark for 6 days Saturday to Friday in August this year -just to see

 

But, having said that, if I get a hire enquiry that's too good to turn down, then it will be less than 6 days.

[Jivemaster]

Dark would be seen as a commercial failure because of the lack of income, or a planned loss added to the cost of work that really couldnt be done "between shows".

 

Dark time is when casuals dont get hours so don't get paid so the good casuals could possibly transfer their availability to other venues.

[gareth]

We get about five or six weeks of dark time in the summer - mid-July to late-August. Sounds like a lot ... but with the ridiculous amount of kit we've got to maintain and test, and holiday to take, it's never enough.

[Ynot]

I guess it depends how the venue is funded - going dark effectively costs us around £6k per week as there is no revenue coming in but we are still paying wages, electric, rates, etc.

True to a point - we don't pay wages of course.

However, with no shows in, the electricity consumption is certainly WAY down on any show weeks!

And being the summer, we don't waste anything heating the building anyway.

 

Wages would also be vastly reduced I suspect in a pro venue as only the resident staff will be 'in' unless the casuals are brought in for the repair work so the permanent staff get their holdiay in!

 

I'd ask how any busy venue can afford NOT to go dark - when else do you get the chance to cary out maintenance?

[J Pearce]

Its wise not to forget that in theatre often the dark periods are low custom periods anyway.

 

The evenings are long, bright and warm, so not many people want to sit in a stuffy auditorium when they could be in the pub garden or having a bbq. Add to this that many venues do not have aircon and the problem escalates.

Also, lots of actor/muso types are busy with summer festivals and/or holiday markets (though this could be attributed to the tradition of theatres going dark).

[GridGirl]

2006 and 2007 we had one dark week in early June; the first of those was the first dark week we had had in 10 years. This year it's gone, and we're not very happy about it, but there's nothing we can do. We work around it, but it's a PITA for maintenance and PAT testing. Holidays is not such a big problem for us though, with a 12-week run over Christmas with only 2 permanent staff on deck for that, most of the full-timers take their holiday then, when it's warm! Because our shows almost only have a staff of two on, and we do 4-week runs minimum, holidays for those on the Christmas show can be found during the year. However, we'll be fighting to get our black week back next year.

[Stu]

We are never dark, I think last year we had probably 8 or 9 dark days where we weren't fitting up/producing/doing a show etc, and 2 of them were Christmas and Easter! We do the maint/PAT on a rolling yearly program, during the day or weeks when the rig isn't being used etc. You soon get used to it if it's the only option you have!

[sameness]

We get about 2-3 weeks in January (Mon-Thurs) for proper maintainence and then very little for sound the rest of the time. Lighting get time each week for cleaning but we dont. PAT is done by an outside company around February time.

[niclights]

In recent years I have requested deliberately trying to avoid programming for a two week period in the summer and a similar break around Christmas. Previously there were natural breaks at those times of year, but I find the traditional seasons are now spreading.

 

But this is in a rock'n'roll concert environment where the majority of shows are one day. I leave the decision as to which weeks up to the programmer, who can then find the ideal time which doesn't impact on any important booking. We, like many music venues, operate club nights at weekends to fund the bands. These still go ahead as normal.

[The Gaffa]

Mines' a college venue, we close completely for three weeks in August, when the heavy maintenance gets done, but we have the odd week when we're dark.

[lamps galore]

In the past we've had two weeks dark in august, and these were just enough to get all the kit maintained and PAT'ed, sort out knackered cabling, fix things and possibly get the paintwork up to scratch.

 

But last year we changed that to the last week of December and first week of January (no panto - small scale receiving venue), due to potentially making more money during August than over Christmas/New Year.

 

And I now have pretty much bugger all time to do what I need to do, so I spend a bit more time just planning ahead, and using up early weeks in january that are normally quiet to fit in maintenance jobs that aren't "urgent".

[Colin]

Another option is to hire in the kit you require for a long run i.e. the panto and test your own kit during this time, potentially using casuals to cover the short fall.

 

Might seem like an expensive option but could well work out cheaper than dark time as all your staff will still be occupied. And if you start to be crafty you could reduce your hire bill by testing whatever you have on the shelf during slow days in the run up.

[ceecrb1]

Here, we get the exact calendar month of August without a single job. As does every events company in the city.

 

The spanish are an extremely predictable/routined bunch. They like holidays in august. so they take them in august.

 

for me its GREAT as I get the workshop/warehouse practically to my self.. no bosses and I just get to sit and fix things in the long cue that is outside my workshop.. Plus its a nice break from the heat in my nice dark windowless hole that is the workshop.