Canadian Venues Light Up Red for The Live-Event Industry #LightUpLive

Tuesday September 22, 2020 – Event and entertainment venus across Canada participated in a #LightUpLive by flooding their exteriors in red light. The lights are a move proposed by the ‘Live Event Community’ organization to raise awareness of the current losses being felt across the music, live entertainment, and event industries.

The ‘Live Event Community’ organization describes itself as “a small group of Toronto technicians and producers who live and breathe live events.”. They asked venues across the country to show their support for the live-event industry and its workers who have been hit particularly hard by the necessary COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. 

While the entire industry has been affected drastically, performers and musicians have found ways to at least stay in touch with their audience to some degree or another. Many technicians, managers, and producers, not to mention venues themselves are not seeing any hope short of government support.

The organization is not asking the government for a hasty return to live-events, but rather is advocating for ongoing financial support for live-event workers and businesses being affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic until the industry can safely return to normalcy. 

Live Event Community describes their mandates as follows:

• ensure that all live event workers are able to pay their bills
• communicate the unique needs of our sector to all levels of government
• work with the appropriate agencies to discuss resumption of live events when we are able, and allow our workers to get back to the show – be it in a convention centre, a festival ground, a theatre or a hotel ballroom.

Entertainment and event from across Canada took part in the event.

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Tonight we join venues & landmarks across the city lit in red to raise awareness for a live events industry still in the dark. Learn more at lightuplive.ca. #LightUpLive #WeBuildEntertainment

A post shared by The Bentway ?Toronto (@thebentway) on Sep 22, 2020 at 6:04pm PDT

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#LightUpLive tonight in Niagara On The Lake at the Royal George Theatre. Live event spaces all over Canada are lighting up in red tonight in recognition of all of the people employed in putting on live events who are currently not able to work because of Covid-19. Photo taken with my #Samsung #GalaxyS8 phone. #raw_mobile #raw_nightshots

A post shared by Ron Harwood (@hoserworld) on Sep 22, 2020 at 7:26pm PDT

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#LightUpLive from Globe Theatre in Regina, SK. ?? On Tuesday, 22 September 2020, an hour after sundown, technicians, suppliers and venues across the country lit up the night red – raising awareness for those in the performing arts industry that is still dark due to COVID-19. ⁣ We recognize how hard this year has been on everyone in the industry. Thank you for your continued support. ⁣ ⁣Shoutout to Patrick Fitzsimmons, our Head of Lighting for all his work on this project.

A post shared by Globe Theatre (@globetheatrelive) on Sep 23, 2020 at 1:19pm PDT

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@shawfestival #lightuplive

A post shared by Tailor Shop Shaw Festival (@denispizzacalla) on Sep 23, 2020 at 4:57am PDT

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#LIGHTUPLIVE “What is the Day of Visibility for the Live Event Community about? The effect of shutting down a $100 billion industry in Canada will have unimaginable impacts on both companies and individuals. Already, the vast majority of live event workers have been out of work or on government support since March, with no end in sight. The arts, entertainment and recreation sector lost 152,000 of 486,100 jobs between June 2019 and June 2020, and 86% of businesses experienced a high level of impact due to the decrease in demand or cancellation of services. Those that are still employed have seen a 45% reduction in hours worked. The corporate and business events sector directly employs an additional 229,000 Canadians according to a 2017 Oxford Economics study. We are a large and important part of the cultural and economic fabric of Canada, and are requesting: that the government recognize our industry has been devastated by the effects of COVID-19, and there is no set date for return. We were the first out and will be one the last to return. continued financial support for live event workers until the industry is back to work. assistance for companies throughout the supply chain who work to create, produce, manufacture and support the live event industry.” – @lightupliveyyc #yycart

A post shared by Sabrina Naz Comănescu ♦️ (@hernameisnaz) on Sep 22, 2020 at 10:56pm PDT

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Tonight, the National Gallery of Canada glows red in support of our colleagues in the event industry who, like many, have been greatly impacted by COVID-19. . Much of their work is about bringing people together, and at the NGC, we've welcomed crowds to different events in our building since 1988. We miss these celebrations and are lighting up our spaces tonight in anticipation of brighter days ahead! #LightUpLive

A post shared by National Gallery of Canada (@natgallerycan) on Sep 22, 2020 at 5:10pm PDT

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International Street and Wonder Mountain are RED tonight for #LightUpLive, a national night of awareness for the Live Event Community. ❤️We stand in support of our own entertainment family, but also the millions of other performers, creators, technicians, tradespeople and venues affected by COVID-19. #StrongerTogether #LightUpLive #WeBuildEntertainment

A post shared by Canada's Wonderland (@canadaswonderland) on Sep 22, 2020 at 5:05pm PDT

Art is fundamentally something that makes the human experience one worth living. I think most of us can agree that music and events play a big role in what we consider an enjoyable existence as people. We will do this safely again, in the meantime it’s important that we find ways to/initiatives that support the artists and venues, to make sure they are still around to enjoy down the road, in one way or another.  

For more information on the event visit: https://lightuplive.ca/

For more information on the organizers visit: https://liveeventcommunity.org