Keighley Playhouse and Silsden Town Hall were among the venues lit up in red last night to raise awareness of the impact of Covid-19 on the live events industry.
The #WeMakeEvents and #TheShowsMustGoOn hashtags were used across social media along with pictures of live events venues showing them on 'red alert'.
The industry relies on ticket sales for around 90% of its income and many venues are now on the brink of collapse because they cannot yet reopen following the coronavirus pandemic.
Many workers in the events sectors are freelance too, with some not able to receive government financial support through the furlough or self-employed support schemes.
Trade association PLASA (the Professional Lighting and Sound Association) is asking that the government makes grants – not loans – available to businesses in the events supply chain, as well as extend the furlough scheme that ends in October until the industry is back to work. It is also asking the government to extend the self-employment scheme that is tailored towards the industry. It points out that the events industry is worth £100 billion in the UK and employs up to a million people.
Peter Heath, PLASA managing director, said: "The live events industry supply chain is set to completely collapse without financial support from the government, due to social distancing prohibiting mass events.
“Large scale events are not expected to reopen until Spring 2021 at the earliest, and the reality is that the sector can’t wait that long. The sector is on its last legs, and now the whole industry is coming together to ask the government to ‘throw us a line’.”
Silsden Town Hall - Photo credit: Neil Hurst on Facebook/Silsden Buzz
đ´ We're in full support of the #RedAlert campaign by @Events_Leeds & @PlasaOnline.
— first direct arena (@fdarena) August 11, 2020
The live events sector employs circa 1,000,000 in the UK. Join the effort to get the industryâs voice heard, calling for immediate support.https://t.co/rYTJtYlqB8#WeMakeEvents #LightItInRed pic.twitter.com/pxwNQiq2L5
Support live theatre and the arts đ #WeMakeEvents #LightItInRed #theatre #stage #live #performance #yorkshire #bradford #skipton #burleyinwharfedale #arts #performingarts #musicals @BradfordTheatre @bradford2025 @Bradford_TandA @ace_national @GreensideVenue @MTIEurope #stage84 pic.twitter.com/lw7TlfaNit
— Stage 84 (@stage84yorkspa) August 11, 2020
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