Live arts and events workers worldwide are to stage a mass protest against government inaction to help save their multi-billion-pound industries.
A global day of action on Wednesday (Sep 30) will involve 25 countries or more – including the UK, America and across Europe – and protesters will represent upwards of 30 million workers whose livelihoods are seriously threatened. The day is the next stage of the #WeMakeEvents campaign, which bathed arts buildings in red light in August.
Campaigners say the British Government's £1.57 billion arts bail-out isn't reaching the people and institutions that need it most. The campaign reckons almost a million people in arts and associated businesses now see their livelihood at risk.
On Wednesday, supporters from hundreds of cities will make their presence known, beam powerful lights into the sky and again light arts venues in red.
Images from postponed or cancelled productions will also be projected on the outside walls of the otherwise closed buildings. On that day pantomime dames will march to Westminster to highlight the large proportion of the nation's Christmas shows now lost to the pandemic – and the huge amount of money from them that will no longer be available to mount productions over the rest of the year.