Venues across the region light up red in support of creative industries
Hundreds of art venues across the country were lit up in red in a show of solidarity with the creative industries.
Venues across the region also took part including the Red House Glass Cone, the NEC, the Birmingham REP and the Blakelands Country House near Bobbington.
London landmarks including the Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge, Southbank Centre and Waterloo Bridge were illuminated to symbolise the sector going into "red alert" amid the coronavirus pandemic. The action, titled Throw Us A Line, also saw workers from the creative industries line up along the River Thames' banks and bridges.
The campaign hopes to raise awareness for the one million jobs, 70 per cent of which are freelance, in the entertainment industry that are at risk of being lost.
Last month, a report from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee warned the UK risks becoming a "cultural wasteland" because of the pandemic.
Artists including Peter Gabriel, The Cure and Imogen Heap have thrown their weight behind the campaign. The event was part of the #WeMakeEvents series launched by the PLASA lighting and sound association.
Peter Heath, managing director of PLASA, said: "The live events industry supply chain, essential to every single event in the UK, is set to completely collapse without financial support from the government, due to social distancing prohibiting mass events.
"Large scale events are not expected to reopen until spring 2021 at the earliest, and the reality is that the sector can't wait that long.
"We have issued a red alert after using #WeMakeEvents because the sector is on its last legs, and now the whole industry is coming together to ask the Government to 'throw us a line'."
