We are raising money to help sustain the theatre industry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and to invigorate the industry once the pandemic is over. On Monday 16th March, the government recommended people should not go to the theatre, forcing over 290,000 theatre industry freelancers out of work for an indefinite period of time. The Creative Industries Federation has since estimated that nearly 50% of freelance arts workers have lost 100% of their work, and are not eligible for support under the government's job retention scheme.

All The Web’s A Stage is a response to this crisis: your favourite performers and artists will congregate online, from their living rooms, to perform the best that live performance has to offer - from musicals, to drama, comedy, cabaret, dance and more! It takes place on 23rd April, Shakespeare’s birthday and the date theatres began to be restored after censorship in 1661: the last time British theatres closed for a prolonged period.

The star- studded line- up includes scores of amazing performers including Joanne Clifton, Oscar Conlon-Morrey, David Hunter, Caroline Kay, Danny Mac, Marisha Wallace and many more. For the full run-down of who and when check out theatretogether.co.uk. There you'll also find a bunch of other exciting events through the week, including a series of Instagram Lives on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and an auction where you can get your hands on some exclusive one-offs.

As a little teaser before the main event, earlier this week we also released How Could I?, a new dance piece choreographed by Chris Whittaker to a new song by Eden Tredwell, featuring a host of West End dancers alongside new graduates and current students from around the UK. Check it out below!

The case

Although the U.K. Government has announced a grants scheme for freelancers, this still leaves many without financial support until June 2020, and totally excludes a proportion of the theatre industry. For example, there are many artists in the first year of their careers and haven't yet filed a tax return, and many who supplement their freelance income with PAYE income from jobs such as teaching and working in bars - jobs which may not be able to be furloughed. Many have earned more than 50% of their income from the last three years in temporary PAYE work, and therefore could receive no support from the Government. Similarly, many freelancers in theatre operate their work through limited companies without paying receiving a salary - which means Government support is not available to them unless they take out a loan.

Arts Council England has announced that its funding stream of Project Grants will be greatly reduced and most of it redirected for the foreseeable future to supporting larger organisations (part of the ‘National Portfolio') and supporting smaller groups and individuals who have track records of being in receipt of public funding. We recognise the Arts Council had to make a set of very quick, very difficult decisions, but diverting funds away from projects and productions could mean that there is a lack of new projects and productions to fill theatres once this crisis is over. There will also be a lack of funding to create new theatre which responds to the coronavirus, which will be when we need art the most, so that we can understand and interrogate our new post- corona world.

All The Web’s A Stage is fundraising for three different charities that can offer immediate financial help to individuals, and also give companies and individuals the financial aid to bounce back and create new work when it’s safe to do so. We want to ensure that fresh, invigorating work continues to populate our stages, and that postponed work from 2020 is not lost to COVID-19. Our fundraising target of £75,000 towards hardship and recovery will make a huge difference.

The charities we are supporting

Acting For Others provides financial support for individuals in the theatre industry who have fallen on hard times: actors, dancers, musicians, lighting technicians, scene painters, wardrobe staff, front of house, backstage staff. Acting For Others is an umbrella charity that distributes money to other charities which have more direct means of supporting the individuals who are in need of financial assistance.

Help Musicians UK provides financial support to musicians when they need it most, giving musicians extra support that could make or break their careers. Help Musicians has set up a Coronavirus hardship fund which will be distributing grants to musicians who are in significant financial hardship.

The Golsoncott Foundation will be funding projects and productions to help the theatre industry bounce back once the Coronavirus crisis is over. They will be funding new work. Funding new theatre is critical because we will want to create work which responds to the new post- coronavirus world we will be living in.