The term “lively arts” is attributed to American writer and poet James Thurber. It was popularized in the mid-20th century as a way to describe various forms of performing arts, such as theater, dance, music, and other creative expressions.
Standards Michigan Lively Art Catalog
“What art is, in reality, is this missing link, not the links which exist.
It’s not what you see that is art; art is the gap”
— Marcel Duchamp
Today we refresh our understanding of the literature that guides the safety and sustainability goals of lively art events in educational settlements. Consortia have evolved quickly in recent years, leading and lagging changes in the content creation and delivery domain. With this evolution a professional discipline has emerged that requires training and certification in the electrotechnologies that contribute to “event safety”; among them:
ASHRAE International
Standard 62.1: This standard establishes minimum ventilation rates and indoor air quality requirements for commercial buildings, including theaters and auditoriums.
Standard 55: This standard specifies thermal comfort conditions for occupants in indoor environments, which can have an impact on air quality.
Audio Visual and Experience Association
Entertainment Services and Technology Association
Set design model for Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello, created for a Paris production in 1895@GallicaBnF
print(“Lively Arts”)https://t.co/93JWrmLwPh pic.twitter.com/RRxuzmGT4r— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) December 10, 2021
The Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film commits to the philosophy that students of the lively arts must be provided w/ practical skills for employment in industry &
educational settings.https://t.co/DRe7qWJKgW@NebCarsonSchool
Print(“Lively”) #StandardsNebraska pic.twitter.com/7K8zfXYlZj— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) February 4, 2022
International Code Council
International Building Code: Section 303.2 Assembly Group A-1
Illumination Engineering Society
RP-16-17 Lighting for Theatrical Productions: This standard provides guidance on the design and implementation of lighting systems for theatrical productions. It includes information on the use of color, light direction, and light intensity to create different moods and effects.
RP-30-15 Recommended Practice for the Design of Theatres and Auditoriums: This standard provides guidance on the design of theaters and auditoriums, including lighting systems. It covers topics such as seating layout, stage design, and acoustics, as well as lighting design considerations.
DG-24-19 Design Guide for Color and Illumination: This guide provides information on the use of color in lighting design, including color temperature, color rendering, and color mixing. It is relevant to theater lighting design as well as other applications.
National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security
National Fire Protection Association
Life Safety Code
National Electrical Code
Articles 518-540: Arenas, Lecture Halls & Theaters
Society of Motion Picture Technology Engineers
Professional Lighting and Sound Association
Dance and Athletic Floor Product Standards: ASTM F2118, EN 14904, DIN 18032-2
Incumbent standards-setting organizations such as ASHRAE, ASTM, ICC, IEEE, NFPA have also discovered, integrated and promulgated event safety and sustainability concepts into their catalog of best practice titles; many already incorporated by reference into public safety law. We explore relevant research on crowd management and spectator safety.
“Art is anything you can get away with” — Marshall McLuhan
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International Code Council (N.B. Changes to its Code Development Process)
International Building Code: Entertainment Occupancies
Section 410: Stages, Platforms and Technical Production Areas
National Electrical Code: Articles 518 – 540
Code-Making Panel 15 (NEC-P15): Public Input Report 10/1/2020
Code-Making Panel 15 (NEC-P15): Public Comment Report 11/18/2021
ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
Princeton University: Set Design & Construction
Building the Virtual Stage: A System for Enabling Mixed Reality Theatre
University of California: Special Effects Safety and Loss Prevention
National Fire Protection Association | 2022 Revenue $82M
2026 NEC Code Panel 15 Public Input Report with Committee Response
Note in the transcript above that the four proposals submitted by Standards Michigan relate to healthcare facilities. Code Panel 15 receives proposals for healthcare and assembly occupancy wiring safety concepts.
The standard of care for electrical system safety in dramatic art facilities in the education, and other industries, is largely established in Articles 518 through Article 540 of the National Electrical Code (NEC). In some instances, dramatic art activity takes place in athletic arenas so we are mindful of parent standards for assembly occupancies generally; found in Chapter 3 of the International Building Code.
Free public access to the current 2023edition of the NEC is linked below:
Of particular interest is the “technical power system” found in Article 640: Audio Signal Processing, Amplification, and Reproduction Equipment.
Access to the International Building Code on “related” occupancies is linked below (Chapter 3 Occupancy Classification and Use):
2021 International Building Code
Note the imperfect correlation between the NFPA and ICC occupancy definitions. This never happens by design but is sometimes necessary. Some risk aggregations have to be understood as terms of art; to be understood by seasoned experts in context. Also, keep in mind that the NEC is a wiring installation safety code.
Proposals for revisions to assembly-related installations in the for 2023 is linked below:
NFPA 70 Public Input Report for 2023 Assembly Occupancies
Second Draft Report for all articles assigned to CMP-15
The so called “song and dance” sections of the NEC have been fairly “stable” in recent cycles. Changes to these articles in the NEC 2020 revision are incremental — i.e clarifications on grounding, wiring methods, cord wiring, illumination — and helpful for designers and inspectors. Nothing budget busting. Convergence of fire safety, mass notification, environmental air and visual experiences continues as once-independent technologies continue integration.
2026 National Electrical Code Workspace
We collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets 4 times monthly in Europe and the Americas. See our CALENDAR for the next online teleconferences; open to everyone.
Issue: [Various]
Category: Sport, Electrical, Telecommunications, Fire Protection, Arts & Entertainment Facilities, Lively Art
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Matt Dozier, Jim Harvey
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“The Fish Fry is the unofficial homecoming of Indiana agriculture,” said Danica Kirkpatrick, Executive Director of the Ag Alumni Association. “Not only do we have a fun, educational program, but our guests tell us each year how much they enjoy the networking and exhibit area. While you can’t help but notice the obvious Purdue Pride at the Fish Fry, you don’t have to be an alumnus to attend.”
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“The prettiest sight I know,
Worth all your roses and snow,
Is the blaze of light on a Saturday night”
– E. Nesbit, ‘Saturday Song’
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