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Cycling for Arts and Events Freelancers
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Aim
Supporting the highly skilled freelance theatre makers and live event specialists whose livelihoods have been devastated by the pandemic.
A Festival of Freelancers
I have worked in the events industry for over 10 years. I've worked specifically for Assembly Festival for 9 years. Every year, every August we produce and stage some of the highest quality theatre, comedy and music shows you’re likely to see anywhere. Our team build, rig and operate everything from traditional theatres and huge tents to beer gardens, cocktail bars and adult slip and slides (don't ask). Last year, during the month of August, we put on around 230 individual shows EACH AND EVERY DAY. Over 750,000 people from all over the world came to visit and enjoy our bars and venues across Edinburgh. It is not an exaggeration to say that it’s a busy, crazy month, but it’s a month filled with energy, creativity, movement and loads and loads of people. Well...usually.
"By this time of year, the weeks of work to build venues, lay artificial turf and installing the colourful array of show posters would be building up to a frenzy as our first shows of the 2020 festival begin. There would be an unparalleled buzz online as people anticipate the wonders of the performing world as they gather in our home city for the largest arts and entertainment party in the world. Our small team of 12 would have bloomed to nearly 900 individuals bringing it all together and supporting more than 1,000 performers and production staff.
Instead, all is quiet.
The impact of a lost summer is immense on the incredible and diverse range of people who rely on it to support their livelihood, whether they be artists, production staff or the small army that make up our front of house, box office and catering teams in addition to the countless suppliers that help us create this magical festival."
We are seeking your support
We have a few extremely valuable causes that we are fundraising for which would help us make a difference this August:
- A hardship fund for the band of highly skilled freelance creators whose livelihoods have been devastated by the events of 2020.
- Supporting the artists who’ve lost the opportunity to put on work this summer.
- Ensuring the survival of Assembly Roxy, our year-round Edinburgh venue which is run by our sister charity Assembly Theatre.
To achieve this Assembly has set itself the goal of raising £30,000. For my small part, I am aiming to raise £600. Check out the different levels of support we are looking and what you get in return on the right hand side.
What you can expect from me
To utilise the energy that would be have been else spent running around Edinburgh, I am going to commit to cycling at least 15 miles a day every day for the duration of what would have been the festival dates. From:
Wednesday 5th August
to
Monday 31st August
The hope would be that I will reach 600 miles by the 1st September, meaning that if I hit my target, I will have raised £1 for every mile. Rain or Sun it must be done. Up early or still up from the night before, no excuses. If for whatever reason I am away without my bike, I will run 5miles instead. I’m imagining the start will be grand, but the end will take some resolve.
I will be tracking each journey on Strava so I’m not tempted to 'phone it in', and I’ll post the picture of the route, distance and time every day alongside some other photos if you're lucky.
I'm no Instagram man, but I’ll also be posting the story on that each day if you want to follow it there. Put it to good use.
A wee thought for you all
The people who make this festival happen and every festival happen, every wedding, large scale party or celebration too, have fallen through the cracks during the COVID crisis. Until there is a return to mass gatherings, they will remain in a precarious and difficult position. When lockdown is finally over, the world will need these people and their skills, knowledge and work ethic to create and stage the events that bring us so much joy. Those events that we all look back on as some of the happiest times of our lives. Now is your chance to give back to them.
So please, donate what you can and follow my journey.
This project successfully funded on 2nd September 2020