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OPERA: On Wednesday night, the stage workers dyed the Oslo Opera House red. They do this to highlight that there is a red level of danger for the industry, if they do not receive crisis money from the authorities. Photo: Fredrik Varfjell
Tonight, cultural workers are dyeing various cultural buildings across the country red in protest against the government that is now cutting the compensation scheme.
– Now I’m in Bjørvika with tears in my eyes, says lighting designer Magnus Boyd to VG.
He is the initiator of action in Norway.
He and several other stage workers are behind the RedAlert Norway protest. With the name, they want to make it clear that they are now at the pre-bankruptcy level due to coronary restrictions.
According to Boyd, more than a hundred cultural buildings across the country are red tonight.
– I lost count. It is everywhere in Norway that people care about good culture. Several have also illuminated the walls of their houses, she says.
THE NATIONAL THEATER: Cultural workers are carrying out actions to illuminate, among others, the National Theater with a red traffic light. This is to warn that a red danger light is on for the culture industry and events due to coronary restrictions. Photo: Fredrik Hagen / NTB
– There is a level of red danger, declared the chairman of the board of GramArt, Ivar S. Peersen during the demonstration in Oslo today and points out that the government wants to abolish the compensation scheme for the self-employed in the industry as of November 1st.
RedAlert is inspired by the actions of sound, light and image technicians from other European countries, where they have paraded with teams through the streets.
– It is a local initiative, but we have joined a global day of action that addresses local problems, says Boyd to VG.
About 75 per cent of sound and lighting technicians in Norway are self-employed, and Boyd believes they will lose “almost all income” if the compensation plan is abolished.
The culture industry is struggling
In Norway, there is now a limit of 200 spectators at indoor events.
According to an analysis that the Cultural Council has bought, probably 6,000 million in value creation will fall in the cultural sector this year. Thousands of cultural workers are or have been laid off. More than 2 billion have been paid in crisis aid to cultural life.
