World War I Commemmorations 2017

For three treacherous months in 1917, the Allied Forces fought against the German Empire in the fields of West Flanders in the hope of bringing the First World War to a conclusion. The bleakest theatre of war was the Battle Of Passchendaele, where – between July 31st and November 10th – it has been estimated that up to half a million brave soldiers lost their lives. One hundred years on, commemmorations took place in Ypres with the support of Stageco Belgium. On Sunday 30th July market square was transformed into a multi-media site, featuring historical projections alongside a military orchestra and solo musicians, with performances by actors and public figures with links to Passchendaele The 20m x 18m main stage featured a curved transparent roof and thrust, front of stage ramps, a choir riser and PA towers. Other structures built by Stageco included an eight-sided B-stage, two spot towers, seven projector towers of varying sizes, a VIP deck with stairs, a BJ-roof for the Royal Box, the FOH riser and PRM deck, cable bridges, three additional PA towers and, for TV cameras, a 20m x 1m rail track and numerous decks. An event at the Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the world, followed the next day. Again, Stageco Belgium was responsible for the event’s structures: two 18.63m x 6.21m media stands, covered with crystal roofs and skins, three camera decks, a loading dock and stairs over the cemetery wall. Pics (c) H-Power