TSL Lighting joined the Light It In Red campaign on Monday 6 July, bathing its Gatwick and Basingstoke premises with light as part of the ‘red alert’ initiative lobbying the government to ramp up support for the arts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Light It In Red galvanised the entertainment technology industry to come together to loudly state that they cannot be ignored and warn that without financial aid, the supply chain for live entertainment and events is heading for catastrophe. The move comes in the weeks before the government’s furlough scheme is due to end, which is regarded by many as a potential ‘cliff edge’.
“It’s vital that we show solidarity with industry and raise awareness of the dire situation,” says TSL’s Loz Wilcox. “The supply chain does so much for theatre, TV and events and it goes without saying that the arts have been invaluable during lockdown, giving us streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and so on. Now, the foundation of the businesses that contribute to producing much of that content is at risk."
Theatres and production hubs across the country took part in the Light It In Red scheme, which came as the government announced a financial aid package for the arts after months of pressure.
As much of TSL’s extensive lighting stock remains in its warehouses due to the shutdown, Wilcox gave the TSL crews free rein to use their fixtures to achieve the most striking and powerful looks on the buildings.
The company also sent a crew to light up the Identity Event Management warehouse just outside Eastbourne in Sussex, and the PLASA and LSi premises, also in the town.
Peter Heath, MD of PLASA, comments: “While the government's rescue package indicates some progression in addressing the UK’s cultural catastrophe, there is still a vast amount of more tailored support needed. There are hundreds of hidden people involved in live productions, outside of theatres, who are not being taken into consideration and do not know when they will be returning to work. The #LightItInRed campaign is a warning to the government, that we can expect the production ecosystem to collapse before spring next year unless we see an extension of the self-employed scheme, at the very least.”
The Light It In Red idea was created and managed by Clearsound Productions Ltd in partnership with the Backstage Theatre Jobs Forum.
