The company has teamed up with the Victorian Actors’ Benevolent Trust.
Since coronavirus hit and events have been cancelled, the arts has been completely ravaged with people across the industry losing their jobs.
It’s resulted in months of cancelled work for artists and crew with many of whom have been ineligible for JobKeeper due to the nature of their short-term contracts. In response, the Melbourne Theatre Company has teamed up with the Victorian Actors’ Benevolent Trust (VABT) to introduce the Virtual Big Bucket Rattle.
Each year, the VABT raises much-needed funds through in-person bucket rattles at performances but with theatre shutdowns across the board, they’ve decided to take things virtual.
In what is the biggest rattle in VABT history, all money raised today (Tuesday May 12) will enable the trust to provide assistance through its COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund. Since 1958, the VABT has provided emergency financial assistance to those employed within the arts who, through ill-fortune or poor health, find themselves at a loss.
“This extraordinary situation has had a devastating impact on the working and personal lives of those in the entertainment industry including many of the actors and crew that form an essential part of our MTC community,” MTC Associate Artistic Director Sarah Goodes says.
“While we would normally have an in-person bucket rattle to collect donations at our productions what we’re asking you to do instead is to jump online and take part in the VABT virtual big bucket rattle,” MTC Associate Director Petra Kalive continues.
Make your donation to the VABT Big Bucket Rattle here. VABT aims to raise $50,000 in 24 hours.
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