Stagehand campaign launches prize draw to raise funds for events staff

Live events industry charity Stagehand has launched #ILoveLive, a new prize draw to raise fund for production staff impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The #ILoveLive prize draw features memorabilia, such as signed instruments and lyric sheets, from a variety of music icons, including Chemical Brothers, Craig David, Billy Ocean, Alt-J, Elbow, Ellie Goulding, Eric Clapton, FKA Twigs, Florence & The Machine, Gary Unman, Glastonbury Festival, Idles, Lewis Capaldi, Johnny Marr, Mark, Knopfler, Liam Gallagher, Liam Payne, Robbie Williams, Nile Rodgers, Radiohead, The XX, Jess Glynne, Marillion and many, many more. Stagehand, in partnership with Crowdfunder UK, is aiming to raise over £1 million from the prize draw by Christmas.

A former stage manager who has received a grant from Stagehand said: “I can’t express how much this is going to help me. I woke up in tears this morning, upon the realisation that I had less than £10 to my name. I was desperately wondering how I was going to survive for the rest of the month when £500 landed in my account from Stagehand. Stagehand and all of the people who are creating fundraising projects are doing such an amazing thing for those of us who are currently unable to work in live music, and who have been unsuccessful in finding other work.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact upon the live events industry, with thousands of self-employed workers now without work since the first UK lockdown began in March. According to Stagehand, over 60 per cent of people working in the industry are freelancers without any support from a larger company and over 20 per cent of all crew have discovered that they don’t qualify for any government support at all. 

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The #ILoveLive campaign was spearheaded by artist manager and promoter David Stopps with Andy Lenthall and Mike Lowe at Stagehand. 

“We know that when live shows can take place again in financially viable ways, the industry will be extremely busy,” said Lowe. “Artists, festivals and venues just want to get back to work and the public are hungry to see live entertainment again. No live show of any kind can happen without the skills and expertise of the army of live events workers. I am sure that the live events industry workers who we can help, will join me and my fellow trustees in expressing our massive appreciation for making all of this happen in the most difficult and unprecedented of times.”

Stopps added: “When I heard about the tenth suicide among stage crew in late August I knew I had to do something. Stage crew are not only suffering great financial hardship but most are also experiencing ill mental health.  Money raised from these prize draws will actually save lives and help to safeguard their future.” 

Rob Love, CEO of Crowdfunder, also commented: “This is a really exciting campaign and we are thrilled to be partnering with Stagehand and an array of incredible talent. Running prize draws with money-can’t-buy prizes can be a really effective fundraising tool. This crucial campaign will help support the ‘behind the scenes’ workers in the live music industry who have been left without work for months.”

You can visit the #ILoveLive prize draw at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/i-love-live.

Earlier this week, Stagehand announced that a number of legendary music photographers are donating sales to its Crew Relief Fund. Available for a limited four-week period at Prints For Music for, prints from legendary photographers Rankin, Ed Robinson, Tony McGee, Adrian Boot and Jill Furmanovsky are on sale at £95 each, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the fund. The fund was set up by charity Stagehand to help live events staff and crew whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.