Offstage alliance formed to amplify workers' voices in Covid recovery

An alliance has been formed to ensure the voices of backstage workers and creatives are heard in discussions about the post Covid-19 recovery of the theatre industry.

The Alliance of Associations and Professionals for Theatre and Live Events was formed following a meeting on June 23 between organisations including the Association of Lighting Designers, the Association of Sound Designers, Costume in Theatre Association and the Production Managers Forum.

The alliance is holding regular meetings and aims to be a collective voice for off-stage professionals.

An open letter announcing the formation of the alliance states: "As a diverse collective of many creatively brilliant voices and minds galvanised as one, we can advocate much more confidently to ensure an inclusive, representative future for our professions.

"We want to act together as a focused channel of communication for key management associations, engagers, producers, trade unions and anyone else concerned with the staging of live events to engage with the expertise of the practitioners who make the work.”

It adds: “While our immediate concerns must be for effective and safe Covid-19 responses, we intend for this to build to a ‘new normal’ of professional practice in the 21st century."

The alliance will be releasing a statement of aims in the coming weeks and is inviting other professional bodies representing technical and creative theatre to join.

The Society of British Theatre Designers, Stage Directors UK, the Stage Management Association and campaign groups Scene/Change and Freelancers Make Theatre Work were also at the initial meeting.

Other organisations that have since joined include the Association of British Theatre Technicians, Parents and Carers in Performing Arts, Stage Sight and representatives from the Freelancer Task Force, as well as individuals representing backstage disciplines that do not have have associations, such as scenic construction, scenic painting, prop making, and wigs, hair and make-up.