Laurier to light up John Aird Centre in red in support of live entertainment industry

Sept. 21, 2020

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Faculty of Music and Performance Facilities department will take part in Light Up Live in response to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the live entertainment industry.

Performance venues across Canada will be awash in red lighting during the evening of Sept. 22 to show unity and draw attention to the impact COVID-19 restrictions have had on the livelihoods of those employed in the entertainment industry. The John Aird Centre on Laurier’s Waterloo campus will be among the venues taking part.

When the province declared a state of emergency in March to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, theatre and music performances were halted and facilities closed. The impact on Canada’s multi-billion-dollar arts and entertainment industry is still being realized. 

“When the pandemic hit Canada, performers and professionals in all aspects of the live entertainment industry found themselves without a means to practice their crafts or earn livings in venues that people gather to be entertained,” says John Hergel, manager of Laurier’s live performance facilities.

Hergel hopes Light Up Live will cause people to take pause and consider the state of the entertainment sector, which remains dark as other business industries across Canada open.

“For Laurier students training toward careers in the arts, I hope that witnessing our involvement in Light Up Live confirms that they are endeavouring to be part of a caring community,” says Hergel. 

One hour after sunset on Sept. 22, the windows and exterior walls of the John Aird Centre, located on University Avenue in Waterloo, will be illuminated with red LED lights as part of the national event.