[ad_1]
The Capitol Centre
File Photo
The Capitol Centre will take on a reddish hue after dusk Tuesday as part of the Light Up Live campaign to “raise awareness for an industry that is still dark.”
Light Up Live is part of a coast-to-coast Day of Visibility “to shine the light on a $100-billion industry that has gone dark,” Dan Misturada, director of programming and events at the Capitol Centre, says.
“When the pandemic hit, the entertainment industry was one of the first to be shut down, and it will be one of the last to reopen,” Misturada says.
The COVID-19 pandemic, he says, has cost many people in the entertainment industry their livelihoods, and restrictions on gatherings are expected to continue for some time.
And while he is confident the industry can rebound from it, “it is going to be a tough road to get to that place,” Misturada admits.
“It’s a matter of when. A lot of things have to go right, but we will get back together. It may not be for some time, but we will get back.”
The Light Up Live locally will literally shine a light on the Capitol Centre, with some of the stage lights used for the first time since pandemic restrictions came into force.
They will be set up on the sidewalk in front of the Capitol Centre to paint the exterior. Some staff from the Capitol Centre will be on hand to raise awareness and explain what it is they are doing.
The Capitol Centre also will be live on Facebook to explain what has happened to the industry.
Light Up Live, Misturada says, has three objectives — to get various levels of government to recognize “the industry has been devastated,” to continue to support live event workers, and to continue to support companies “in the supply chain” that rely on the entertainment industry.
“A lot of people now look at a venue and they know the technicians and (entertainers) are out of work,” Misturada says. “But they don’t see the people in the supply chain are also hurting because there is no work.”
Other venues in Canada participating in the campaign include the CN Tower, Calgary Tower, Niagara Falls, Rogers Arena, Roy Thomson Hall, the Grand Theatre de Quebec, Confederation Centre of the Arts, SaskTel Centre, the Stratford Festival Theatre and the Royal Theatre Victoria.
Throughout the evening, images and videos will be shared across social media using the hashtags #LightUpLive and #EclaironsLesScenes to boost visibility.
“This grassroots movement seems to have caught fire,” says Live Event Community co-founder and industry veteran Morgan Myler.
“Our goal is to ensure government acknowledges that our industry has been uniquely impacted by the effects of COVID-19, and that it will continue to offer financial support for live event workers and companies throughout the supply chain until large gatherings are once again deemed safe and the industry comes back to life.”
“This industry is built on passion, and that makes it inherently resilient,” adds Live Event Community co-founder Rob Duncan.
“We’re all doing our best to weather this storm and appreciate the support we’ve already received from various levels of government and the general public. However, we’re in a uniquely challenging spot and need assistance to ensure the show can go on once we’re all on the other side of this pandemic.”
On the web: http://capitolcentre.org/
[ad_2]
Source link