UK – the new charity which supports entertainment technology professionals in times of need received a kick-start to its fundraising efforts at the Knights of Illumination Awards thanks to a donation from Clay Paky.
The company’s commercial director Pio Nahum presented a cheque to lighting designer Rick Fisher for Behind the Scenes UK, explaining to the audience that one of the last things approved by the late Pasquale Quadri was this generous contribution to the new charity.
“As an industry, regardless of sector, we all come together to ensure the success of the shows we work on. We work closely together and our colleagues can’t help but become our friends. This camaraderie stays with us through the good and bad times and it’s only natural that, when our friends fall upon times of hardship through no fault of their own, we want to do anything and everything we can to help them out. We are pleased and proud to offer this support through the Behind the Scenes charity.”
Behind the Scenes UK is fundraising tirelessly to bring funds up to a level whereby it is possible to start the granting process. Grants will be made to assist with basic living costs, medical related expenses, transport, retraining and in the worst case, funeral expenses.
Theatre lighting designer Rick Fisher, who sits on the UK charity’s board of trustees and accepted the cheque from Pio at the awards ceremony, said: “The entertainment technology industry in North America has embraced Behind the Scenes. Our US colleagues are already benefiting from the generous donations that have been made since the charity launched there eight years ago. It’s still early days for us in the UK, but we can’t rest on our laurels and wait for the money to flow in. Without donations we can’t donate. What you put in is what your colleagues will get out should the worst happen. Having to refuse someone on the grounds of insufficient funds is simply not an option for us.”