Need to Know
02 : 10 : 18

Glasgow – Audio-visual collective VAJ.Power is now putting on club nights and workshops that sit at the intersection between digital art and music.

Launched by animators and promoters Holly McGowan and Sofya Staune, VAJ.Power provides nightclubs with 3D visual art, or VJing, defined by the duo as ‘like DJing but with visuals’. Now, the collective is expanding with its own educational events that challenge the traditional hedonistic nightclub experience.

The >Fuse events are focused on learning and include night-time 3D animation and VJing workshops. Attendees can then show their new skills during the collective’s club nights. Described as ‘conscious clubbing’, >Fuse operates a safe space policy. ‘This should not be a temporary feature, but rebuilt in the venue as a way of restructuring our ideas of gender,’ the duo told It’s Nice That.

Innovators in the nightlife industry are using digital technology to provide multi-sensory experiences. For more, read our Nightlife Market.

UK – The bakery chain will soon sell Waste Bread, a new product created from its surplus loaves and sold at a commercial scale.

Beginning in mid-October, Gail’s Bakery will be the first chain to produce sourdough loaves made from old bread. Leftovers are turned into a thick porridge-like paste, which is then added into a sourdough mix and baked to become Waste Bread, with each loaf having its own distinctive taste.

The launch is part of a commitment by Gail’s to sustainability and reduction of food waste. Although the bakery produces small batches and donates leftover food to local charities, the Waste Bread offers a chance for the chain to demonstrate itself as a food innovator.

Another way of advancing the concept of Trash-to-Table and making use of excessive bread waste is to turn breadcrumbs into beer, a process pioneered by Toast Ale.

New York – The media brand has opened the Beauty Studio, a space that allows businesses to produce editorial beauty content.

The space, located in Condé Nast’s 1 World Trade Center office, provides clients with the facilities they need to create high-quality photographic and video content for use by the media company’s platforms and publications. Condé Nast says it reaches more than 240m consumers monthly across its social channels, and its videos average over one billion views a month, so the content will be largely optimised for social media.

The Beauty Studio will also offer end-to-end services such as creative ideation, strategic planning, and access to young influencers and producers. ‘Partners can now access our stable of creative, talented editors and reach an audience of engaged users looking for inspiration and recommendations from a trusted source – our brands,’ says Celia Ellenberg, Vogue beauty director and co-leader of the space.

Fashion and media publications are increasingly entering the beauty sector. Just last month, Gucci and Dazed Media both launched beauty verticals through Instagram.

Nielsen’s latest study into the music habits of Latinx consumers in the US found that music is thoroughly ingrained in their daily lives. According to the study, Latinx spend 32 hours a week listening to music, more than the average US listener. Furthermore, 45% subscribe to a streaming service for music, radio and podcasts, outpacing 40% of non-Hispanic whites.

These consumers are also welcoming new technology that enhances their listening experience. More than one in five Latinx households own a smart speaker, and 58% want to buy one in the future – 16% higher than the total US population.

Latinx consumers provide an untapped opportunity for companies producing smart home technology, with these brands having to consider the importance of music in their day-to-day routines.