On August 11, Calrec lit up its historic Nutclough Mill building in red at night to help raise the alarm for the live events and entertainment sector as part of the #WeMakeEvents campaign.

Backed by a wide range industry bodies and companies, a series of events was held on Tuesday across the UK to highlight the plight of those struggling for work as a result of the pandemic. The live entertainment sector has been particularly badly hit, with calls to the government to step in and provide more assistance. The sector is in critical condition.

“This has affected our customers in every territory, and the impact on live events like sports and entertainment has been devastating,” says Sid Stanley, Calrec’s general manager. “In the UK alone there are over one million people employed in delivering events, 72% of whom are freelance, and many of which have no access to any financial support. We worked with other companies in the valley where we are based, including the Hippodrome, one of the UK’s largest volunteer-run theatres, to bring as much attention as possible. We hope that by coming together to support one another our voices are heard.”

Calrec has worked with A1 craft mixers during this period to help promote their achievements as widely as possible. The company has also worked with customers to create flexible technical solutions to allow as much live coverage to occur as possible. But, of course, massive challenges remain and the UK government needs to provide support to allow the sector to return to its former glory. We stand with #WeMakeEvents.