1,500 buildings will be lit in red Tuesday for live events industry

Congress must act now to save arts workers; join Seattle march and rally

SEATTLE — There will be #WeMakeEvents #RedAlertRESTART and #ExtendPUArepresent actions nationwide on Tuesday, Sept. 1 imploring Congress to quickly pass the RESTART Act (S.3814), which provides economic relief to the live events industry that has been shuttered since March, putting millions of people out of work. The actions will also support ExtendPUA.org and its efforts to continue federal unemployment assistance providing relief to those without work due to COVID-19.

On Tuesday, buildings, structures and residences will be lit in red from 9 p.m. to midnight (local time) as the event rolls across North America. The goal to raise public awareness that the live events industry is on RedAlert for its very survival, and create congressional pressure to act now.

TAKE A STAND — In Seattle, supporters will gather at 5 p.m. at the Paramount Theater, 911 Pine St., for a #RedAlert Day of Action march (starting at 6 p.m.) that passes several nearby venues before concluding at Westlake Park for a rally. Get details.

“The Arts & Culture sector employs 5.1 million people and provides $877 billion value added to the U.S. economy,” reports #BeAnArtsHero, a grassroots coalition of arts and cultural workers. “It adds more value to the economy than transportation, agriculture, or tourism. The arts and culture sector is a cornerstone of the larger U.S. economy, making up 4.5% of GDP. Despite their out-sized cultural and economic contribution, the arts and culture sector of the U.S. economy is in grave danger. Due to COVID-19, 62% of arts workers report that they are fully unemployed and 94% report income loss. To date, the average arts worker reports $23,500 in lost revenue this year. Due to COVID, 66% of arts workers report they are unable to access the spaces, staff, resources, or supplies needed to perform their work.”

In addition to Seattle and Portland, the list of cities for the #WeMakeEvents #RedAlertRESTART #ExtendPUA event on Sept. 1 includes Washington D.C., Huntsville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Baltimore, Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Boulder, Fayetteville, Lexington, Louisville, and Canadian neighbors including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

The North American event comes on the heels of the Aug. 11 event #WeMakeEvents Red Alert Day Of Action when more than 700 buildings were lit in red across the UK, calling attention to the same plight facing the live events industry there. As theaters, concert tours, festivals, opera houses, trade shows, and other live events, as well as film and television production, remain closed or open on a very limited basis, the entire industry is impacted — from designers, technicians, programmers, and stagehands to rental shops, manufacturers, and distributors of entertainment technology. The first industry to close last March, live events could be the last sector to reopen due to the COVID-19 crisis.

For information about joining the event and lighting your building red, contact WeMakeEventsNorthAmerica@gmail.com.