Ever fancied dipping your toes into the world of live event production?
The Academy of Live Technology is where the world's biggest artists go to rehearse before heading out on arena tours.
And whilst it's pretty impressive that you'll walk through the same halls as Kayne West, Arctic Monkeys, One Direction, Pink, ITV, Netflix and more, it's even more exciting that you can kickstart your career in the same space.
At degree and master level you can explore different specialist areas of live entertainment design and production, but for those looking for fast-paced, skills-based courses, there's also a number of Skills Bootcamps to get stuck into.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The idea of the Skills Bootcamps are to give those who are considering a career in the industry the opportunity to see what a real day-in-the-life in live events is all about, and a taster of the skills needed to be able to work on major projects around the world.
These might appeal to someone looking at starting on one of the Academy of Live Technology's degree courses and want to learn more before sending off their application; as well as post-graduates looking to find their specialist areas, or someone who would like to know more about changing the path of their career and want to learn all about the ins and outs of the industry.
These courses really do bring the best of both practical hands-on and theoretical sessions together and take an inclusive approach to ensure that all types of learners feel heard and understood throughout the courses.
At present, there's four different Skills Bootcamps that you can enrol in:
Skills Bootcamp in Event Management
Images: The Hoot Leeds
About the course: This five-week course covers all areas of Event Management, splitting into different areas of planning, as well as marketing strategy; communication and credentials; health and safety and professional etiquette.
Planning is split into multiple sections, including: strategic, stakeholder, sustainability, financial planning (and procurement), as well as exploring site management plans.
Start Dates: Monday 12 February and Monday 18 March 2024
More dates are expected to be released throughout the year here.
How to apply: You can register your interest and start the application process here.
To take part in the Events Management course, you must be aged 19 or over and live in West Yorkshire (including Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) and you cannot be in full-time education or undertaking an apprenticeship at the time of joining.
This course is fully-funded and free of charge to those that meet the criteria, but are limited to one per person, per year.
Skills Bootcamp in Event Production
Images: The Hoot Leeds
About the course: This bootcamp is designed to give you a flavour of four different areas of event production, over the course of five weeks. Giving an introduction to live sound engineering; rigging and event safety; show calling and stage, production and tour management, you'll train using the world-class facilities onsite that have already been tried and tested by the likes of Pink, Metallica, The Killers, Netflix, Amazon and ITV.
Start dates: Thursday 15 February and Monday 18 March 2024
More dates are expected to be released throughout the year here.
How to apply: You can register your interest and start the application process here.
To take part in the Events Production course, you must be aged 19 or over and live in West Yorkshire (including Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) and you cannot be in full-time education or undertaking an apprenticeship at the time of joining.
This course is fully-funded and free of charge to those that meet the criteria, but are limited to one per person, per year.
Skills Bootcamp in Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine, for those of us who aren't in the industry, is 'the most powerful real-time 3D creation tool' and a great up-skill to have under your belt if you're looking to carve a career in virtual production, live events, TV, film or even game design.
The five-week-long course takes you through the basics of using Unreal Engine and its application in game design, VFX, virtual production and immersive events, before you start to look at more technical skills like level design, lighting, materials, cinematics and camera, game mechanics, blueprint visual scripting, UI widgets and project development.
Start dates: Wednesday 14 February and Monday 18 March 2024
More dates are expected to be released throughout the year here.
How to apply: You can register your interest and start the application process here.
To take part in the Events Production course, you must be aged 19 or over and live in West Yorkshire (including Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) and you cannot be in full-time education at the time of joining.
This course is fully-funded for those that are unemployed, self-employed or in part-time education. If you are employed, the Academy of Live Technology will ask your employer to contribute 10% of fees for small and medium-sized enterprises, and 30% for large enterprises.
Skills Bootcamp in Virtual Production
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The virtual production course also covers the basics of Unreal Engine, but instead focuses on the specific application of the state-of-the-art software in the virtual production industry over a ten-week-long part time course.
There will be opportunity to learn all about materials, lighting, levels, cinematics, camera, storyboards, production design, and on-set virtual production skills and technical skills before you'll shoot your own virtual production project in groups, and understand the roles of Producers, Directors and Virtual Production logistics a well as post-production skills.
Course dates: 10-week course will run part-time from Monday 12 February - Monday 30 March 2024.
More dates are expected to be released throughout the year here.
How to apply: You can register your interest and start the application process here.
To take part in the Events Production course, you must be aged 19 or over and live in West Yorkshire (including Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield) and you cannot be in full-time education at the time of joining.
This course is fully-funded for those that are unemployed, self-employed or in part time education. If you are employed, the Academy of Live Technology will ask your employer to contribute 10% of fees for small and medium-sized enterprises (£300), and 30% for large enterprises (£900).
There’s something about Lucky Iris that feels completely made for a packed-out club at 1am.
The Leeds-based duo, made up of Maeve and Jasper, have spent the last few years carving out a sound that refuses to sit neatly inside one box. Hyperpop, electro, indie, dance, synth-pop throw it all in, and you’re somewhere close, but even then, Lucky Iris are busy smashing those pop archetypes to pieces.
And right now, they’re doing it better than ever.
After a huge 2025, Lucky Iris have kicked off 2026 with their debut mixtape, 'fall in love with the dj', a project that feels like the culmination of everything the pair have been building towards since their bedroom-pop beginnings during lockdown.
Released in January via Launchpad+ and EMI North, the six-track mixtape takes Lucky Iris back to the place that shaped them: sweaty, low-lit, bass-heavy rooms where music becomes something bigger than just something playing through a speaker.
As Maeve puts it, the project is about 'finally making the music we want to hear', and that philosophy runs through every corner of the record.
FROM BEDROOM POP TO ELECTRO CHAOS
Lucky Iris might now be turning heads across the UK, but their story started much closer to home.
What began as a bedroom pop experiment during lockdown has evolved into something far more ambitious. The pair have continually pushed their sound forward, experimenting with electronic production and finding a space somewhere between alternative pop and the dancefloor.
Lucky Iris on a tour of Leeds with The Hoot. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Their latest mixtape is arguably the clearest expression of that evolution yet.
Tracks like i just want to dance, play me like a speaker and heart 4 heart had already started building serious momentum throughout 2025, giving listeners a taste of the direction Lucky Iris were heading in.
Then came 'fall in love with the dj'.
The title track captures exactly what makes the duo so exciting. It’s not simply a song about going out it’s about that strange, almost euphoric feeling of losing yourself in music.
THEIR BREAKOUT YEAR
2025 was the year Lucky Iris started making serious noise.
The duo completed their first UK tour supporting Master Peace, while also sharing stages with artists including Babymorocco, Dorian Electra, Hannah Diamond, Bimini and Jessica Winter. They also made an appearance at SXSW London.
DIY, Wonderland, The Forty Five and BBC Radio 1 have all been among the tastemakers backing the duo.
The duo were also selected as a Spotify RADAR Artist of the Week/First Listen Artist, joining a list of previous RADAR artists that includes Griff, Central Cee, Rose Grey, Barry Can't Swim and Rachel Chinouriri. Artists who have all gone on to achieve big things, and it appears that Lucky Iris are heading in those footsteps.
Not bad for a project that started in a bedroom.
LEEDS IS WRITTEN ALL OVER IT
There’s also something particularly Leeds about Lucky Iris.
The city has been part of their story from the beginning, from those early nights out that inspired their music to the grassroots venues such as Hyde Park Book Club where they developed their live show.
And live is where Lucky Iris really come alive.
Their commanding performances have become a major part of their identity, transforming their electronic productions into something that feels less like watching a band and more like stumbling into the middle of a party, from larger-scale production to smaller settings like Rat and Pigeon in Manchester we’re we recently saw them transform the space into a hyper-pop evening alongside similar artists.
They’ve even managed to bring their music and their football obsession together.
As lifelong Tottenham Hotspur fans, Maeve and Jasper have collaborated with the club, featured on Sky News and appeared pitchside at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the club’s The Warm Up series. Their music has also found its way onto the Premier League Official Playlist.
Because apparently Lucky Iris weren’t content with taking over the dancefloor, they wanted the football stadium too.
MAKING MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT
Ultimately, Lucky Iris aren't trying to reinvent pop for the sake of it. They’re making the kind of music they genuinely want to hear.
Music that is loud. Music that is messy. And music that understands why we keep going back to clubs, gigs and dancefloors in the first place.
'fall in love with the dj' feels like a statement of intent from a duo who have finally found their sweet spot. It’s crunchy, electronic and relentlessly fun, but underneath all that noise is something incredibly human: the desire to feel something.
And with everything Lucky Iris have achieved already, it feels like we’re only just getting started.
Keep an eye on them because if the last 12 months are anything to go by, the Leeds duo are going to be making a whole lot more noise.
TESTBED unveils major transformation to become Leeds’ premier destination for music and culture
Clementine Hall
Here's your first look at the new and improved TESTBED music venue in Leeds city centre.
Gearing up to relaunch this September, the landmark Leeds venue will reopen its doors to showcase permanent structural improvements and major upgrades across sound, lighting and overall customer experience.
With a capacity of a very impressive 2,500, there's no denying that TESTBED is preparing to relaunch at the forefront of Leeds’ vibrant creative culture.
The venue is expanding from 10,000 sq ft to 23,000 sq ft, guests will now enter through a new lobby where they can enjoy a brand-new 5,000 sq ft mezzanine level with customisable seating and a view of the dance floor from a brand-new balcony.
Image: Supplied
There will be a new upstairs bar that will continue TESTBED’s commitment to support local brands and suppliers.
Downstairs, the custom-built stage allows for a 360-degree crowd and a room two is also underway for a 2027 reveal, creating a multi-purpose space and chill-out area.
Image: Supplied
The newly designed lighting includes multiple moving lights and strobes, together with a large LED ceiling installation and bespoke under-balcony display of LED strips and curves, complemented by a high-res 8m x 4m LED video wall.
Guests will also keep cool thanks to significant upgrades to ventilation and air circulation, with powerful high-capacity fans creating a fresher, more comfortable environment throughout.
Image: Supplied
Now onto the important stuff... the portaloos are gone and replaced by four brand new toilet blocks, doubling capacity and of course - comfort.
So, what are you waiting for? We'll see you on the dance floor at the brand-new TESTBED when it opens its doors again this September.
Full lineups and opening details will be announced soon, we'll keep you posted as and when we find out more.
Sophie Smith -
12th February 2024 
