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Image Credit - Global news[/caption]The Canadians who hold great passion for the performing arts have taken to social media on Tuesday to raise awareness about the live events industry that they feel has been left on life support by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jennifer Hildebrandt, who reportedly helped to organize a social media campaign using the hashtags #lightuplive and #lightuplivecanada in Edmonton, said that they shall not risk having events at the moment. She further added that they are risking thousands of people by getting them out of work and that they are also risking coming out of this pandemic, and not having events, not having concerts for people to get back to. And, this is something which not people are grasping at the moment. There are venues that are shutting down all across the country. It’ already been six months and things can only get worse, she added.
Being inspired by similar movements in Germany and the United Kingdom, the Light Up Live event on Tuesday have asked the venues, performers, and the event workers to take photos of themselves or the venues with red lighting, and then post them on the social media accompanied by the movement’s hashtags.
Christian Zeretzke, an Edmonton freelancer who specializes in rigging and carpentry for the theatres said that it’s going to be a fantastic show. This is to raise awareness of the plight of the event workers at the moment.
Zeretzke, who reportedly came up with the #lightuplivecanada hashtag said that since March when the pandemic had hit all, he has had only one gig in the arts and has also been forced to take other jobs to support himself.
He added that the performers, lighting technicians, sound technicians, promoters, florists, cleaners, security, and caterers to the hospitality groups, have been impacted when the live shows came to a sudden halt.
Organizers of the social media movement have said that the live events sector employs one-million Canadians, directly or indirectly. According to the provincial government, in Alberta, the arts including the live events contribute to the province’s economic growth and quality of life.
Press Secretary for the Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism, and Status of Women, Michael Forian told Global News that this is an additional $1.3 billion in GDP that has been generated while sustaining nearly 20,000 jobs in Alberta. The live experience events generate economic activity through, out-of-the-town tourism, at an average $10 million impact on the economy for larger events.
More than 600 venues across Canada, ranging from arenas to theatres, and concert halls have taken part in Tuesday’s social media event.
Zeretzke added that some venues have managed to reopen with limited capacity to accommodate social distancing, which is something he understands and agrees that is difficult to break even on a performance.
He said that if there is a 100-seat capacity and 15 of them are technicians and box office staff, and actors, it’s quite difficult to make a profit out of that. Hildebrandt said that they are really hoping to bring awareness and support from the government, and also from the public for their industry, as they know it’s important to maintain support for the gig workers and the live event workers.
People have been asked to click photos and posting them on social media once the sun sets in their region on Tuesday night.
