Hi, my name is Connor Strange, and for those that do not know me, I am a Freelance Theatre Technician & Event Crew. I have written a couple of articles on the Get the Chance platform before, and the article I am writing today is especially poignant and relevant to me.

I am making this public appeal, in light of the current Covid-19 outbreak. The closure of our theatres and live events has spelled disaster, with theatres on the brink of collapse and redundancies already starting. I felt a sense of sadness and despair looking at the disaster unfolding before me, I could not and would not stay silent on this issue.

So this is a story of how I am standing up and supporting our theatres colleagues and friends across our beloved country, and sharing the event that I am organising and taking part in to raise money for Acting For Others.

I am an avid gamer in my spare time, and thought to myself how could I raise money? It dawned on me that I could do a charity gaming livestream and raise money that way. So here’s what I am doing:

I am taking part in a 12 hour gaming livestream on the 1st of August 2020 between 9am and 9pm (UK BST) playing 5 well known game titles, in this order: Minecraft, Fallout 76, Forza Horizon, Fortnite, Elder Scrolls Online.

The event will be raising money for UK charity Acting for Others, and will be broadcast on Twitch – www.twitch.tv/connorstrange145

Acting for Others is a charity that represents 14 UK theatrical charities. The funds raised are used to offer emotional and financial support via their 14 member charities to members of the entertainment industry who have fallen on hard times through illness, injury or circumstance.

They support actors, dancers, singers, variety performers, backstage workers from the dressers to the techs, front of house & box office, theatre admin and behind the scenes creatives such as directors and choreographers.

I am raising money because I want to help colleagues from across the country who are struggling financially and emotionally due to COVID-19, and I want to give something back to a community of creatives that are truly accepting and inclusive. Our community has been let down by government, and some colleagues have not been able to access funding, grants or government loans. This is unacceptable, and I felt that I could not turn a blind eye or stay silent on an issue that means so much to me. 

As a Freelance Theatre Technician, I have been accepted and included and I am truly thankful to the theatre industry, for giving me an opportunity to thrive and succeed.

The work that Acting For Others do is truly inspiring, and I hope that you can donate. However small or big your donation is, it will truly help. If you can’t donate, that’s completely okay. If you could share my page far and wide, I would be extremely grateful. If you would like to donate the link is www.justgiving.com/fundraising/connorstrange1

Thank you for your support, and I hope you’re all safe and well.