Author: Live Event Community

News

Two Weeks to #LightUpLive 2021

Post author By Live Event Community
Post date September 9, 2021

This is not business as usual.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, live entertainment has been hit hard with the loss of events and the jobs that support a million Canadians and their families. On 22 September 2021, demonstrate your support for the Day of Visibility for the Live Event Community. Here are some things you can do right now to help our community in this difficult time.

Speak with the candidates running in your riding in the Federal election. Help them to understand what we do, but more importantly why we do it. Show them how crippling the pandemic has been for you and your family, and that we all want to get back to work.

Let them know:

We need industry specific support for those who still want or need to pursue their career.
We need new training support to help fill the jobs of people who will not return to our industry.
We need continued support for businesses, so that they can be there when large live events return to our stadiums, convention centres, theatres and festival venues.

Help me find my candidates

On September 22, visibly show your support and shine a light on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the people of the live event industry. Illuminate your venues and homes, to show support for those that are struggling to support their families. Let’s make this an opportunity to talk about the problems and create solutions that will shape the future of live events in Canada.

Join us for a second year, as we #LightUpLive #EclaironsLesScenes on 22 September 2021 for the Day of Visibility for the Live Event Community.

How to make a difference:

Light up your home or event venue in red, and post it to social media using the following hashtags:
#LightUpLive #EclaironsLesScenes #WeMakeEvents
Tag us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn @liveeventcomm
Find out who the candidates are in your riding, and explain why you can’t make a living in your career right now. The listing is here: https://www.elections.ca/scripts/vis/FindED
Use the Media & Graphics available at https://lightuplive.ca/info/
Submit a local news story using our templates here: https://lightuplive.ca/info/

Media and Graphics

News

LEC Appeal for Keeping Ontario Venues Open

Post author By Live Event Community
Post date April 9, 2021

The Hon. Monte McNaughton MPP
Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
777 Bay St. Toronto, ON M7A 2J3
Tel.416-327-4300 Twitter: @MonteMcNaughton

The Hon. Christine Elliot MPP
Minister of Health
5th Floor, 777 Bay St. Toronto, ON M7A 2J3
Tel. 416-327-4300 Twitter: @celliottability

In March 2020, the live events industry was halted by social distancing and gathering restrictions. Event and show cancellations sidelined a hundred thousand Ontario live event workers, and venues have stood empty of audiences.

Many Ontario creators, producers and promoters have tried to adapt to this challenging situation, modifying their work to an online format. In this format, there is no in-person contact with audiences and limited support crew. Our industry has always prioritized safety, and our protocols include most, if not greater to those that already are approved for network broadcast and filming.

The current stay-at-home order punishes live event creators, promoters, and the people they employ, who have been following best practice covid-19 safety procedures but are forced to stop work once again. We ask you to swiftly make the necessary changes to the current state of affairs here in Ontario and bring back these much-needed online events.

These productions are aimed at online audiences and do not contribute to the spread of coronavirus. Online shows allow artists and creators to remain relevant, practice their craft and provide entertainment to an audience that is told to stay in their homes. It may also provide a minimum income to a limited amount of performers, crew, and venue staff.

Hundreds of thousands of Ontarians have been legislated out of work in the Live Event Community. We have tried to be patient, we understand the need for Ontarians to be protected from covid-19, but this latest stay-at-home order as written will continue to negatively impact us and the stay-at-home audience.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

We are all in this together.

The Live Event Community

cc:
The Hon. Lisa MacLeod MPP, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries @MacLeodLisa
The Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario @fordnation

LEC – Keep Our Venues Open [PDF]Download

Share this message

Newsletter

Three things to do this April

Post author By Live Event Community
Post date April 6, 2021

Petition the Government

The Canadian government is drafting the federal budget this month, and it is critically important that they recognize our industries will need an extended round of financial support. Large-scale live events will not be viable for months, and many international events are postponed until 2022. The businesses, supply chain and workers of the event industries need continued support now, so that we have the capacity to restart quickly and safely when the time comes. If you’re in the live music industry, please fill out a letter to your MP at the Canadian Live Music Association, and re-tweet #ForTheLiveOfLive on your social channels. You can also use the letter generator at the Coalition for Hardest Hit Businesses.

Speak Up

#GMID2021 Lighting Up Blue

Light up blue this Thursday to support #GMID2021 and the Global Meetings industry.

LIGHTING UP BLUE – 8 April 2021Meetings Mean Business is asking destination marketing organizations and their partners across Canada to recognize Global Meetings Industry day by Lighting Up Blue local convention centres, off-site venues, galleries, museums, attractions, monuments and any other place people like to meet.

Our Glowing Hearts

In the News

CP24 Tonight hosts Reshmi Nair and Nick Dixon discuss the long road back for live events. Jeffrey Moss president of Moss LED in Toronto, and Rob Duncan of Live Event Community discuss the difficulties faced by the live event industries.

Thanks to Moss LED, a portion of every red heart sold will be donated to supporting live event workers and highlight your #LightUpLive #EclaironsLesScenes event last September.

Watch Now

Buy a Heart

Need help?

Through compassionate and confidential support, the AFC helps Canadian entertainment professionals maintain their health, dignity and ability to work. If you need support for your immediate financial obligations, please reach out, even if you do not meet the guidelines exactly.

The AFC helps Canadian entertainment professionals maintain their health, dignity and ability to work.

Apply for help

Newsletter – December 31 2020

Post author By Live Event Community
Post date December 31, 2020

‘Twas the night before year-end, and all through the land
Not a theatre was open, no props nor stagehand.
The audience was sent home, and so was the cast
The second wave of Covid arrived here so fast.
Since Springtime our gigs have been hung out to dry
For live event workers and business we cry.
On CERB cheque! On face mask! On 2 meter distance!
Now vaccine! Now restart! Now start a new project!
Although it’s been tough and a harsher reality
Know that you’re loved by your greater show family.
But let us exclaim, ere we close out the night—
“Happy New Year to all, and to all a bright light!”
with apologies to A Visit from St. Nicholas

As the final hours of 2020 wind down, we want to reach out to all of you – the live event community who have supported each other over the past 10 months – who lit up their office and home windows, arranged large installations and spread the word that our industry is alive and present, despite being closed for much of the year.

Many people have managed to get work in film, television, streaming or virtual events – this is heartening news, but it still doesn’t help most of the million Canadians who work or perform at music halls, cabarets, festivals, rodeos, theatres, convention centres and every other live event that is such an important part of the cultural and economic fabric of our country.

So, tonight we will hold up our red light, continuing to show that live events matter, and that we need the government to continue to provide support until the industry can safely restart. The news is full of photos ops of vaccinations, which should provide hope, but we know that there is much to be done, and that we will be the last to return.

Be strong, stay safe, wear a mask. Most of all, realize that when we can all gather again, it will be the biggest most raucous live event the world has ever seen, and it will need you – the event professionals of the world – to run it.

Need help over the holidays?
Check out our mental health resources. Call someone, please.

International Update

38 countries have engaged with We Make Events
Over 4800 buildings have been lit in red around the world
15 countries have had direct meetings with their governments about supporting the industry
Numerous artists have supported our campaign by raising money and awareness

The Show Can’t Go On

Watch this beautiful counterpoint by Sam Bradford and Praxima, to Amazon’s “The Show Must Go On” video. Creative expression is important, but needs an entire industry to support it.

You can watch the Amazon commercial here.

Member Monday

Brent is a lighting and media designer who has worked throughout the entertainment industry for over 15 years. His Gingerbread Roadie stop-motion animation on social media received over 25,000 views in less than 2 weeks, and helped raise awareness and funds for the wemakeevents.org organization in the United States.

Thank You!

View our searchable indexed resources on our website: https://liveeventcommunity.org/resources

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Tags covid-19

News

Global Day of Action

Post author By Live Event Community
Post date September 30, 2020

Hot on the heels of a successful Canadian Day of Visibility for the Live Event Community, the global organization #WeMakeEvents is calling on live event companies and people to reach out across the world.

Community

Harrison Bye

Post author By Live Event Community
Post date September 28, 2020

Harrison has been an instrumental past of the Live Event Community execution team since its early days as an important resource for out-of-work workers. His knowledge of technology and social media made him an ideal candidate to maintain communication though Instagram, an important conduit to younger workers. His countless hours preparing for the Light Up Live execution on 22 September definitely paid off with the result being a social reach of 9 million and almost 12k posts over the week.

Harrison has been in the live event community for 12 years. Currently he is the head of audiovideo at Isabel Bader theatre at Victoria University. He also worked at TIFF Bell Lightbox as an Assistant Booth Manager before COVID-19. Pre-covid, Harrison spent his time supporting First Nations (1492 Landback Lane), Teachers, and the Encampment Safety Network (Instagram). During the pandemic he has learned how to make scrambled eggs like Gordon Ramsay (it doesn’t involve profanity or shouting).

Community

Howard Ungerleider

Post author By Live Event Community
Post date September 21, 2020

Once upon a time there was an incredible workforce involving thousands of people. These talented individuals ranged from musicians, actors, lecturers, creative show designers, stagehands, lighting and sound engineers, visual effects and laser technicians, transportation and logistics personnel, caterers, wardrobe assistants, bus drivers, structural engineers along with a vast array of support teams to backup and contribute their skills aiding all these people.

How to make a difference:

We are all in this together.

Share this message

Petition the Government

#GMID2021 Lighting Up Blue

Our Glowing Hearts

In the News

Need help?

Share this:

International Update

The Show Can’t Go On

Member Monday

Thank You!

The Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB)

Member Monday

Share this:

MERCI !

THANK YOU!