Take a musical tour of N.L. worksites, as new show debuts on CBC-TV
From Inside The Circle transforms industrial places into concert spaces
Imagine a rural workplace in Newfoundland and Labrador, transformed into a concert space: buzzing saws, crackling welding machines and the whir and beeps of forklifts replaced with songs, applause and laughter. A unique experience that casts a local business in a new light, while at the same time raising money for a local charity.
That's the concept behind a new CBC-TV show, From Inside the Circle.
"People are in shock when you first call them: 'you want to come in here and do what?'" said the show's producer, Fabian James of Tyndrum Media.
In the first three episodes, host Karla Pilgrim guides audiences through live music shows and a chef's reception in spaces that usually manufacture hardwood products, large industrial drills, and trailers.
A trio of small towns
The first episode, recorded at Can-Am Platforms in Bay Roberts, airs Saturday, July 28, and features musicians Jenny Gear, Dawn Thomson, Darrell Power and Darcy Broderick & Friends. The company manufactures industrial trailers and mobile offices, and the show raised money for a new SPCA building.
The second episode transports the audience to Green Bay South, to Duralite Diamond Drills in Triton, and features The Irish Descendants, Bob Hallett, Paul Lamb and Colleen Power.
The main challenge with the Triton show, said James, was recording in February inside a shipyard building with a 60-foot ceiling, while temperatures dipped to –18C outside.
"Everyone was well dressed for that show and they really appreciated the hot food afterwards!" laughed James.
People are in shock when you first call them. You want to come in here and do what?- Producer Fabian James
That episode of From Inside the Circle raised money for the Triton Recreational Association which supports several sporting leagues in the area.
James said it was interesting to shine a spotlight on an island company with international reach.
"They actually manufacture industrial drilling equipment, not small hand drills, but equipment and tractor systems. They operate and manufacture these drills in Triton and they have a sales office in Panama," he said.
"It's pretty phenomenal they sell all over the world."
The third and final episode saw more than 300 people in Eastport crowd into Sutreen Hardwoods to hear Shanneyganock, Rube & Rake, Janet Cull and Sandy Lambert.
Mike Sinnott, the owner of Sutreen Hardwoods, said over half of the people who came in that night were from Eastport, but had never set foot in his building. The show raised money for Beaches Heritage Centre, a charity supported by his company.
"We raised close on $10,000 for the Beaches Heritage Theatre that night and the impact that theatre has on the community is huge," said James.
"They are running shows and festivals, people are coming out to Eastport and staying in bed and breakfasts and hotels and cabin. It has a real spinoff."
Island hopping
James said he and director Wes Holmes are putting a Caribbean twist as they continue on their From Inside The Circle series.
They've recorded two in Trinidad and are prepping for a final show in Barbados' Mount Gay rum distillery. They are also in talks with a PBS affiliate in South Carolina and hope to do a variation of the show based around cultural exchange.
We raised close on $10,000 for the Beaches Heritage Theatre that night and the impact that theatre has on the community is huge.-Producer Fabian James
"We have a really interesting discussion going on with PBS in South Carolina, who are really interested in going out in the rural area of a state of province. There'd be a cross cultural piece — we'd probably have N.L. artists at the U.S. shows and U.S. performers here in N.L. twinning those rural communities."
From Inside the Circle airs on CBC TV starting Saturday July 28 at 8:30 pm NDT.
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