Known throughout the industry for the creation of backdrops and scenic elements, Hangman was a mainstay of the live events sector for over 40 years. However, this year the family-run company opted to close its doors, leaving its staff to pursue other options. After some time away, the former Hangman team got together for a drink and began plotting the foundations of a brand-new company to carry on where Hangman left off.
Taking up the story was Harry Harrison, Head of Electronics for the newly formed Sceniq. The new company has been set up by its founders as a cooperative. With new premises just down the road from the original Hangman offices, the staff of five full-time members are offering the live events industry everything from backdrops to custom set pieces. Joining Harrison and make up the rest of the team includes Sue Harrison, Karen Tester, Matthew Howe and Toby Mendes-Houlston.
“Hangman was always known for drapes and backdrops, but we provided many other services – notably looking after Iron Maiden’s set elements for several years,” Harrison revealed. “We also created a lot of custom light boxes and signage for tours, which are all things we are now offering at the new company, Sceniq.”
After the initial meeting, all five of the previous Hangman Employees have now taken on Sceniq as their full-time job, with the company looking to bring on freelancers during busier times. Sceniq has already been involved in some noteworthy jobs including creating a custom LED dress for Kylie along with a backdrop for the latest The Prodigy tour.
“There has been a great response from several of our previous customers who seem to really like that we have formed a co-operative,” Harrison stated. “It’s not a very common way of forming a company in the industry, but for us it was the only logical setup as the company simply would not exist if any of the five of us were not involved. It was important that we create this company together and as a collective we have the drive, and we get to share equally in the success.”
Looking to the future, Harrison expressed his hope to continue to expand Sceniq’s offering to the market. “It would be nice to get more set-building work and perhaps even some small automation projects the future,” he mused while expressing his excitement for some of the work in the pipeline.
