Christopher BarrettLive event production industry welfare fund Stagehand has received £100,000 from collection society PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) to boost its new Covid-19 Crew Relief Fund.
Open from mid-October, the fund will support crew and technicians and live events industry workers that have fallen through the cracks in Government aid.
Stagehand chair of trustees Mike Lowe said, “As a sector-specific charity, we’ve already seen devastating effects suffered by some of our workforce caused by the lack of work and financial support. The relief of having rent paid and mouths fed will no doubt ease the undoubted mental anguish caused by the pandemic.”
PPL CEO Peter Leathem acknowledged that the live events sector has been one of communities who have been the hardest hit by the pandemic: “We welcome the opportunity to be able to provide this support. This funding adds to the contributions we have made to hardship funds for musicians, freelancers and venues – all of which are part of the music ecosystem. We need to safeguard the jobs and livelihoods of crew so that they are there when our members get back out on the road post-Covid to do what they love most – performing. This is a much-needed initiative from Stagehand and we are pleased to be able to be part of it.”
Stagehand was founded by members of the Production Services Association (PSA) in 1998.